High Incident
by Taletha
Summary: Story Complete. The nightshift accidentally come under the influence of an illegal substance. Response to a challenge that spun out of control. GSR.
1. Chapter One

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A/N: This is my first fan fiction ever, though I have read hundreds from CSI and the X-Files. Any comments in ('') are Sara's own thoughts. This started out as a challenge and spun out of control.

**__**

High Incident

LVMPD...

Warrick walked into the break room and immediately smiled. In the center of the table was a large cake box. "Thanks for the cake guys, but I thought we were going to do this at Cath's house." He opened the box and swiped chocolate icing from the big cake.

"Maybe Catherine wanted to get the party started early." Nick suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." Sara agreed, extracting a knife and paper plates from the cupboard.

"Happy Birthday to me!" Warrick sang as he sliced a healthy piece of cake for himself, and then repeated the process several more times for his friends.

"Did someone say cake?" Greg's spiked head peered from around the corner.

"Hey guys! We've got ourselves a peeping-tom here." Catherine called out from the hall, and then pushed Greg through the door. "Double chocolate! Yummy!" Catherine snatched a piece for Greg then for herself.

"You didn't bring this for me?" Warrick asked Catherine, confused and maybe a little disappointed.

"Nope, probably Grissom." She said between mouthfuls. "Oh God! This is great!"

"Yeah, probably didn't want it to be a big deal." He agreed and tried not to watch the fork disappear into her mouth with too much interest.

**__**

Grissom's Office...

"Come in."

"Hey Gris." Sara greeted as he looked up from his file. Her stomach did a flip-flop when their eyes met over his wire-rims. She loved when Grissom looked over his glasses. He had the whole 'smart-is-sexy' thing going on. She was lost in his blue eyes when he raised a questioning eyebrow at her silence.

"I- I- uh, brought you a piece of cake."

"Thank you, Sara. Are you not going to have any?" He asked, motioning to her now empty hands. She smiled sheepishly.

"I already ate mine." _But I wouldn't mind watching you eat yours! _"Okay, so you're heading over to Catherine's straight after work?" Sara inquired, refocused.

"Yes, I am. I'll see you in a few."

**__**

Thirty minutes later at Catherine's house...

"Hey Warrick, Lindsey said to tell you she was sorry she would miss your party and to give you this." Catherine relayed, handling Warrick a small gift.

"Thanks Cath. Maybe I can drop by some other time and thank Lindsey in person?" Warrick suggested boldly, not sure what had gotten in to him.

"Sure. Whenever you'd like...I mean, I'm sure Lindsey would be happy to see you." She responded, trying to cover and not too sound desperate or anything.

"Hey Cat, you got any alcohol?" Greg asked between mouthfuls of more chocolate cake.

She gave him a sharp look at his calling her 'Cat.' The only person she let call her that and got away with it was Warrick.

"Yes, Greg. In the kitchen cupboards."

"You guys ready to eat?" Catherine asked Sara, Grissom and Nick, who were sitting on the couch and loveseat. She only got a few grunts in response, as they all seemed to be in a daze.

Meanwhile, Greg rooted around in the cupboards and reemerged with a tray full of drinking necessities. "Let's play a drinking game!" He recommended, totally hyped.

"I'm game." Warrick called out. "Come on guys, stop staring at the walls!"

One hour later, the five CSIs and Greg were all engaged in some drinking game that they suspected Greg made up.

"I quit!" Sara said pouting and threw her arms around her chest.

"Aw, Sara. You can't quit now, it's just getting to the good part!" Greg whined.

"The good part? Greg, we've been knocking back shots for the last hour. If it gets any better, none of us will be able to make it to work tonight." Grissom observed.

Grissom didn't know about them, but he was feeling mighty fine. The alcohol working on his sleep-deprived brain left him feeling more relaxed than he had been in years. Looking around at the others, they looked to be in a permanent state of relaxation also - except Sara. Sara was still sitting on the loveseat frowning. God, she was sexy when she pouted!

Whoa! He needed to settle down before he embarrassed himself.

"Come on Sar, don quit cause you're losin'. " Nick slurred. His heavy Texas accent drew everyone's attention.

They all turned to Nick then burst out laughing. Who knew why - when you're high, everything was funny. They laughed for what seemed like ever and then Sara started to cry.

"Sara, honey what's wrong?" Grissom wanted to know, on his knees beside her immediately.

Quite frankly, she didn't know and whatever thoughts she had in her head left the moment he moved into her personal space. She leaned in closer as he placed his palm on her cheek. _Hmmm. _At this distance, she could smell his shampoo, conditioner and perspiration that made up the unique Grissom scent she dreamed about in her sleep.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Grissom tugged Sara gently to her feet.

Sara couldn't put two words together, so she nodded in agreement. Her and him in a small and enclosed space? Add nine years of repressed sexual tension and she wasn't sure she would be able to control herself - she wasn't sure that she _wanted_ to!

Inside Catherine's bathroom, Grissom moved around with relative ease as he fished out a washcloth and hand towel for her face. Sara couldn't help but be annoyed.

"You're awfully familiar with Catherine's bathroom."

__

'Wait, did I just say that out loud? I can't believe I just said that. Now I sound jealous.'

"Um. Sara, Catherine and I have been friends for quite some time. It's only natural that we would visit at each other's homes."

"Yeah right! I'm friends with Nick but I don't feel the need to acquaint myself with all of his personal areas!"

Grissom's head snapped up.

'Shit! Did I just say that aloud again? What in the hell is going on? This was supposed to be an inner monologue!'

"Sara, there's no reason to be jealous of Catherine." He chided her gently as he pressed a warm cloth to her face - though the thought of her in Nick's bathroom bothered him.

'I'm not jealous of Catherine.' Was what Sara wanted to say, but what actually came out of her mouth was: "Would you like it if I was jealous?"

__

'Hold on! Something's definitely going on with my mouth. I know what I want to say but something else ends up coming out. I must be drunk.'

"Do you think you a have a reason to be?" Grissom countered with a smirk.

"Bastard! You're enjoying this. I don't care if you're screwing Catherine or not. Whatever she does for you, I can do it better. Turn the lock on that door and I'll prove it! Now, that'll take the smirk off your face!"

Grissom's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.

__

'Oh God! It happened again. I said that, didn't I?'

Grissom didn't know what was the hell was going on in Sara's head but he was totally turned on by what was coming out of her mouth. The rational part of his brain was telling him that she was drunk, that she would never say these things if she weren't. But the mellowed part of his brain, thanks to about a half bottle of brandy, was stirring up trouble. Speaking of things that were up, as close as they were standing to one another, there was no way she was not aware of his state of arousal. God! He didn't even think his Sara thought this way. Instead of being disappointed, he was pleased! Did this make him a dirty old man?

He walked slowly over to the bathroom door and locked it, then turned around with a satisfied grin. "I hear Physicists do it with Force!"

__

'I did say it. This is my brain on drugs.' Sara groaned.

**__**

In the living room...

Catherine woke sometime later with a splitting headache and still felt surprisingly high. She frowned at the silence in her house and surveyed the scene. It was a wreck.

At the sound of giggles, Catherine's head shot up. She regretted the action immediately as pain exploded in her head and a wave of dizziness washed over her. After the moment passed, she decided that Grissom and Sara had either gone to the bathroom again or were still in there from earlier. It's a good thing she has two baths in her house.

She walked into the dining room and found Greg asleep on the floor. Catherine vaguely remembered the Lab Tech complaining that the floor would not stop moving.

In the kitchen, she gasped out loud in shock. "What in the hell is going on in here?"

The kitchen looked like one of Grissom's experiments exploded in it. Food items from the cupboards and refrigerator littered the table and counters. Tons of pots and pans were stacked in the sink, not to mention the huge drum Warrick and Nick were hovering over on the stove top.

Speaking of stove, Catherine wrinkled her nose from the smell emulating from the pot. Warrick and Nick looked up with amused smiles.

"Hey Cat, what's s'up?" Warrick greeted, wearing her 'Top Chef' apron and a sly smile.

__

Damn he was sexy! Catherine mused briefly. But even that sexy smile and puppy dog eyes couldn't distract her from the mess they made in her kitchen. "What are you guys doing in my kitchen?"

"Well..." Nick started in his heavy Texas drawl. "I wanted to make some chili for everyone, but Warrick here, wanted to make spaghetti."

"So, we made both!" Warrick finished.

"In the same pot?" Catherine questioned weakly, almost afraid of the answer.

Nick and Warrick nodded their heads in affirmation, obviously pleased with their problem-solving skills.

"See, my Mama has this famous recipe that's been handed down or generations. I can't tell you the secret but it involves chicken and turkey." Nick stage whispered.

"And my Grandma's spaghetti is just as famous here in Las Vegas. Her secret is to add Italian sausage and a few other spices I will not name, along with the ground beef." Warrick revealed.

"_Okaaaay_. The only problem with that, is that I didn't have any turkey or Italian sausage." She pointed out the culinary geniuses.

Warrick and Nick clucked their tongues in mock exasperation. "Women." Nick stated, shaking his head. "Can't ever improvise. Of course, we noticed that your fridge was inadequately stocked."

Catherine raised a finely arched eyebrow.

"What Nick _meant_ was that since we didn't have any turkey or sausage, we used lunch meat."

"You put lunch meat in a pot of chili slash spaghetti?"

"Yep!" They responded in unison. Then Nick reached over and removed the lid.

Catherine's stomach started to roll as Nick poked into the pot with a long handle serving spoon. But it was the smell that sent Catherine racing for the garbage can.

**__**

An hour later...

Catherine woke up, back on her couch with a warm cloth on her head. She glanced around the living room and found Nick passed out on the floor, Warrick staring at the ceiling, Greg watching cartoons and mumbling to himself, while Sara and Grissom were walking back into the room. She suspected from the bathroom.

Something wasn't right. She had had plenty of highs in her life and this one wasn't from alcohol. "Hey guys? Does anyone feel weird or is it just me?" When no one answered, Catherine tried again. "Warrick, Nick, Greg, Grissom and Sara! Something's going on here."

"What's going on Catherine?" Nick asked groggily.

"I think we're been alcohol or food poisoned or something. I think food though." Catherine realized.

"Food poisoning? You mean from like food?" Greg asked.

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Yes, Greg. From food, but what food?" She looked around expectantly at the perplexed CSIs for help.

"You know what?" Grissom spoke suddenly, causing the others to jump. "I think we should investigate!" He finished with enthusiasm.

"_God_! You are so smart!" Sara gushed, smiling at Grissom with nothing less than complete adoration in her eyes.

"Thank you." Grissom blushed, and then moved close to Sara, touching her.

Catherine rolled her eyes again. "Get a room already."

"You mean bathroom. But yeah, we should investigate. Uhmm. Because we're investigators." Warrick added with uncertainty.

"What should we do first?" Greg inquired, up for the challenge.

"I think that we should bring our equipment in here." Grissom suggested.

"Right, because this is a crime scene." Catherine concurred. Happy to finally have some help.

"And we're investigators. And we investigate crime scenes." Warrick threw in for the benefit of those who hadn't put it all together yet. "Should we put up the police tape?"

**__**

A while later...

Sara walked into the living room behind Warrick and Nick, who were high-fiving each other coming out of Lindsey's room. "What you guys find?"

"We, being the fine investigators that we are -lifted tons of prints from Lindsey's room." Nick boasted.

"Bonus! I got samples of everything from the kitchen. Uh? Do you guys have any idea what that was in the pot on the stove?"

"We'll, I've got body fluids and hair samples from the bathroom." Greg supplied, placing the bottle of Luminol and the ASL back in to the metal case. I'll run it through when we get to the lab."

"Good." Catherine said, and then turned to Grissom. "What are you doing?"

Grissom was lying on the floor, staring in the corner.

"Arachnid. His cephalothorax seems to be damaged."

"Right, whatever."

"Hey guys?" Sara called out as she approached the coffee table with caution. "Did anybody get a sample of the cake?"

"No way, it can't be the cake. Grissom made it." Warrick held.

"I didn't make that cake. I thought Catherine made it." Grissom countered, finally distracted from the spider.

"I didn't make it. I thought Sara made it." Catherine assumed, then turned to Sara.

"Don't look at me, I don't bake." Sara shot back, then lifted the remaining portion of the cake for closer inspection. "Guys, I think I know what happened."

"I knew you could do it." Grissom smiled proudly. Sara blushed.

"Thank you. I had a good teacher."

"Enough already, what happened?" Catherine snapped.

"We need to get this cake back to the lab to confirm it, but I'd bet money that this cake is packed with cannabis."

The crowd ooh'd and ahh'd appropriately.

"You know, the Cannabis Sativa plant, also known as hemp, was introduced to the American Colonies in the early 1600's in Virginia-"

"That's great Einstein." Catherine interrupted Grissom's history lesson. "But what should we do now?"

"I think that we should call the hospital, make sure that drinking all that liquor after eating that cake isn't like frying our brains right now." Warrick suggested.

Sara spoke with the nurse from a hotline number on the telephone for several minutes and then hung up. "Okay, the nurse said that we should be okay in a few hours. Because we ingested the cannabis, it will take longer for the effects to wear away. We should stay put and drink plenty of water. Also, we should eat crackers if our stomachs can tolerate it." Sara explained.

"Ecklie's coming over to take the sample of the cake. I also called Carvello. He was not pleased that the entire night shift is calling in sick but he has the swing shift coming in to cover for us." Grissom reported after ended his own call.

"So, uh? Who brought the cake?" Nick wondered out loud.

**__**

Two months later...

The night shift entered the break room one by one and eyed the cake box on the table suspiciously. After the incident two months ago, everyone was still leery of deserts. They found out later that the cake was sent to the department, not for Warrick but as a prank by the relative of a perp busted for drugs. Everyone had just assumed the cake was for Warrick.

"Doughnuts." Sara pointed to the object of everyone's scrutiny. "I brought them in since you all are stuck here and I get to go home." The team then visibly relaxed. "Um, Grissom? Can I speak with you for a moment before assignments?"

"Sure."

Grissom and Sara were still embarrassed by the events of that day and had successfully avoided discussing the issue further.

"How can I help, Sara?" Grissom asked cautiously, after closing his office door behind them.

"I uh- um. I think we should talk about what happened at Warrick's birthday party."

"Sara," Grissom started, cutting her off. "I think that we both did things under the influence of a controlled substance. It's understandable that things got out of hand. I think we should put all this behind us-"

"I wish it was that easy and simple for me Grissom."

"It can be, Sara."

"No, it can't, Grissom. I'm pregnant."


	2. Chapter Two

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A/N: Thanks for the great reviews - very encouraging! Okay, so here's the second chapter. I don't have a BETA so all mistakes are my own. Oh yeah. I don't own CSI or Grissom and Sara would have more PSV.

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High Incident

Chapter Two

Downhill Spiral

Gil Grissom sighed heavily as he dropped several chunks of beef into his tank of maggots. If only his life was as simple as his pets.

It had been hours since he learned he was going to be a father. A father. The thought was both terrifying and exciting. He was terrified that he would complete the path of his emotionally closed off father and become a total recluse. On the other hand, he was excited about rectifying the ills of that same man by being a _real_ father.

Suddenly, another thought dawned on him. Sara Sidle was having his baby! _His_ Sara. He knew he would never be able to adequately articulate the depth of his feelings to Sara - for fear of scaring her to death. It scared him. Nearly ten years of flirting, teasing, wanting, longing, yearning, and pushing away. To say that he loved Sara Sidle would be an understatement.

For a while he thought that perhaps he had imagined the time they spent in the bathroom during Warrick's birthday party. That maybe the hemp filled cake had distorted his memories. Or that his long held fantasies had finally spilled over into his reality. Though, he would gladly choose insanity if it meant retaining the memories of the feel of her smooth skin underneath his fingertips as he trailed them over her breast, her soft lips moving over his skin, the delicious fullness he felt as her tongue invaded his mouth, and the unique taste of Sara when his own tongue…No, he would store those thoughts away for perusal at a more appropriate time.

Sara's news today was his validation that the deed had indeed occurred. It was certainly not the way he had envisioned there first time together. Maybe he could work on that when she was more receptive to the concept of them as a couple. For right now - they were having a baby together. That meant that they would be tied forever together and that was better than nothing. She may not want him for herself, but they would always have the baby. He would focus on the baby.

He wondered briefly if the baby would look like Sara or him. Maybe curly brown hair with brown eyes? Or curly brown hair with blue eyes. Boy? Girl?

At this point it didn't matter because he would love this child no matter what. He needed to contact his mother. She would be so pleased!

But wait! Was Sara pleased? She didn't look happy. Hmm? She did come in on her off day to tell him, but then she only said that she was pregnant, then left in a hurry.

Yeah, but could he not have been any less supportive? He had just stood there dumbstruck. She probably thought he was upset. Stunned, but not upset. He needed to talk to her.

She said something about an appointment.

An appointment. For the baby? _Wasn't it kind of early for appointments? _Oh yeah, she needed to start vitamins. **Mental note to self: **Get a book on pregnancy. _Unless_…she was going to discuss alternatives. What if Sara didn't plan on keeping the baby? But then why even bother telling him if she wasn't planning on keeping the baby?

He counted back the weeks on his fingers like a child in the second grade. Eight weeks since the conception. She still legally had options. But Sara would never...how did he know what Sara wanted? He never asked. As a matter of fact, he never said _anything_. She could be alone somewhere on some butcher's table thinking that at was her only option because he didn't care. But he _did_ care. He loved Sara and he loved their baby.

Hold on, he needed to settle down. He was getting way ahead of himself here. It was midnight for Pete's sake. She didn't go to the doctor, she probably went back home.

Snatching up the telephone, he dialed Sara's home number from memory. He disconnected quickly when the machine came on. He was searching frantically for his cellular phone when Catherine came in.

"Lost something?"

"My phone. I can't find my damn cell phone!"

"You mean," She reached over and plucked the phone from the debris on his desk "this one?"

"Um -Yeah. Thanks…did you umm…need something Catherine?"

"Not really. Unless you really _did_ want us to work today."

"Huh?"

"Gil, what in the hell is wrong with you?" She eyed him suspiciously "Shift started an hour ago. I know you had a meeting with Sara…"

"Oh, sorry. Could you hand these out? I have to go somewhere." Grissom asked pushing several pieces of paper in her direction. "There's nothing major going on tonight."

"At least not here anyway. Are you coming back?"

"I don't know. You can call me if you need me."

"Will Sara be coming in tonight?" Catherine asked but already knew the answer.

"No, not tonight."

Catherine leaned against the wall perplexed as she watched Grissom stuff his papers into his briefcase and shrug on his jacket. She figured that this had something to do with Sara. In all the years that she had known Gil Grissom, no one unbalanced him like the younger CSI.

"You know Gil, I hope everything works out." She waved a dismissive hand at his surprised look. "Make it work, you deserve to be happy."

"Thank you, Catherine."

**__**

At Sara's Home…

Sara flopped across her bed. She didn't mean to blurt out the news to him but he gave her no choice. While she would have loved to live in his world of denial, to pretend that she wasn't pregnant, the situation warranted immediate attention.

Several days after Warrick's party, Sara began to feel ill. She safely chalked it up to be the spiked cake. But after the second week, she'd dropped that theory in favor of a stomach flu. By week three, the nausea kicked in big time and she could no longer deny the obvious.

Pregnant. She finally made an appointment with her OBGYN. The doctor confirmed that she was indeed almost four weeks pregnant. She was going to have a baby. She was going to be a mother.

How could she be a mother when she didn't even like people? Babies didn't like her and she didn't like babies. How was she supposed to raise a baby? Would she have to move home so her parents could help? No, she couldn't do that. She couldn't stand to be around her mother in more than five second intervals. She would stay in Vegas and raise her child alone. She had enough savings for several months then she would have to find another job. Maybe a teacher's assistant, a desk job or in a lab somewhere.

But the last thing Sara wanted to do was to have and raise a child alone or leave the job she loved so much. And let's face it, Grissom maybe being a jerk right now but she still loved him. She didn't want to leave Grissom.

But she had no choice, Grissom showed interest in her or the baby. Hell, he acted like he didn't even remember how she got this way to begin with and the past two months had been downright awkward and weird. Maybe her leaving CSI would open the opportunity for some kind of a relationship on some level.

When she told him, Sara waited for some response but got nothing, so she left. That was over an hour ago and he still had not even called. The initial shock should have worn off by now. Maybe his silence was his answer? She would never force herself or the baby on him, then he would truly hate her, and that was one thing she knew she would never be able to survive. Not to mention, leave their child with sort of complex.

The baby was first priority. Picking up the receiver before she would change her mind, she dialed home. Her mother answered.

"Mom, it's me Sara."

"Sara dear, how are you?"

"I'm okay, how are you and Dad? How's the business?" It was peak season for the B&B.

They chatted briefly on nonsense, and then her mother cut to the chase.

"It's nice to hear from you Sara, but is everything alright?"

Tears sprang to Sara's eyes at her mother's words of concern. Maybe it wasn't too late for them. When Sara was younger, she longed for a close friendship with her mother, but it was never to be. She wasn't quite sure what went wrong. All she did know was that she wasn't what her mother wanted in a daughter. No dresses and painted nails for her. She was all about climbing trees, digging in dirt or spending hours reading. She was awkward, abrupt and a loner. Thank goodness her father did not feel the same way. For that, she would always be grateful.

"I'm pregnant, Mom."

There was a long pause before her mother let out a long sigh.

"I'm very disappointed in you Sara. You haven't made many wise decisions since you become an adult and letting yourself get pregnant? All that money spent on a Harvard education and you throw it all away to work with dead people and now you're pregnant? I thought I raised you better than this." Her mother sighed again. "Well, do you at least know who the father is?"

Sara was stunned. She knew her mother was disappointed but she had never said the words before. She also knew that her mother was less than thrilled about her career choice but thought she would eventually get over it. Apparently not. She couldn't stop her tears.

"Okay, Sara. Don't cry. You come on home. I'll help you make all of this go away."

"Make it go away?" Sara asked stupidly.

"Surely, you aren't seriously considering following through with this pregnancy? You don't know the first thing about being a mother. How can you be responsible for some else's life when you can't even manage your own? Did you not expect for that promiscuous behavior to finally catch up with you?"

"Promiscuous? I've never-"

"Sara, you're too old for me to coddle you. Your father spoiled you too long and it's kept you from being a responsible adult. It's time to grow up and make adult decisions. Now, do you have money? I can buy you a bus ticket from this end and we can straighten all this out."

"I-I don't need- ''

"You don't know what you need, Sara. If you did you wouldn't be in this mess." She pause, then started in a softer tone "Being a mother is something that comes instinctually, it can't be taught."

"I guess not." Sara said sadly and then hung up.

Sara never felt so overwhelmed and completely alone as she did at that moment. She gave in to despair and cried.

**__**

Crime Lab…

Grissom was headed to his car when he was stopped by Sheriff Carvello. Didn't the man ever sleep? It was a full hour later before he was free to find Sara.

**__**

At Sara's home…

Sara wiped her tears away and stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Pushing up her shirt and opening her jeans, she turned several different ways but could not see any difference in her stomach. How long before there would be a lump there? How long before she would feel her baby moving around inside her?

She couldn't wait. She could do this.

She gasped out loud then stared into her own eyes in the mirror. How long before she would feel Grissom's baby moving around inside of her? 'OH MY GOD!' Grissom's baby.

It was as if she had been on auto pilot for the last several weeks: Thought she was pregnant, went to the doctor. Went to the doctor, get confirmation of pregnancy. Pregnancy confirmed, go tell Grissom.

Not until that moment had she thought of the child buried deep within her womb as a human being instead of a 'situation.' As a person that would eat, sleep, breathe, eventually talk and walk. A boy or girl that would share genes and features of both Grissom and her.

It didn't matter if Grissom or her mother where not happy about the baby. She was happy and her child would have her unconditional love. And she would never be alone again.

She could do this!

Excited, Sara splashed cold water on her face. She needed to do research. She would find out everything she could on the subject. She patted her face dry then glanced in the mirror again. For the first time in weeks, she smiled a genuine smile.

Snatching her purse and car keys from the table, Sara opened the door to find Grissom standing there.

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

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High Incident

Chapter Three

"Hey." Sara greeted, surprised to see Grissom at her door.

"Uh-hello."

She waited patiently for him to state his business. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" She asked when he didn't.

"Um - yeah." He shrugged "I left."

"Okay. So, what's up, Grissom?"

"I -um, came to see you."

"I didn't even have to be a good investigator to figure out that one." She watched him expectantly. "For Christ's sake, would you say something already - you're making me nervous."

"Do you want to get something to eat or coffee or something?"

A flustered Grissom was a handsome Grissom. Did he always lick his lips like that when he was nervous? Surely, after studying the man for almost a decade, she would have noticed that. However, as much as she would have loved to ponder the thought, the mention of food sent alert flares to her brain.

"Food is good. Let's go."

**__**

At the diner…

"What can I get for you?" A waitress, way too perky for one o'clock in the morning, asked.

Sara frowned "I don't think I can drink coffee anymore."

"Maybe you should try herbal tea." Grissom suggested. Sara wrinkled her nose but nodded in agreement. "I'll have the same."

They talked about cases until their food arrived, then Grissom watched in awe as Sara polished an omelet, hash browns and toast smeared with tons of butter and jelly. He watched in utter fascination as she savored each bite. Grissom was never a jelly sort of person, but after watching Sara thoroughly enjoy it, he was willing to add it to his daily menu. He'd been tempted on more than one occasion tonight to lick her fingers for her. **Mental Note To Self: Buy lots of jelly!**

He had also never seen her eat that much before. He smiled. She was eating for two now, but was that enough? As a vegetarian, he was always concerned that she wasn't eating enough.

"Um, Sara? Did your doctor express and concerns about your weight?" When she glared at him, he quickly amended his statement. "I mean, shouldn't you be gaining more weight…for the baby?"

"You want me to be fat and ugly?" She accused angrily, drawing the attention of several patrons.

"Uh - _no_. I'm just wandering if you're eating enough -"

"So, you think I want to starve my baby?" Sara knew she was over reacting but she couldn't help feel hurt that he didn't trust her to take care of herself. "You think I'm so vain I would harm the baby so that I could be thin? How can you think that? I would never…" Tears sprang to her eyes.

Grissom swallowed a lump in his throat. Okay, that didn't come out well. He glanced around nervously, catching many disapproving glares. He needed to calm her down and make things right quick before he was mobbed by the onlookers.

He leaned over the table and brushed a tear from her cheek.

"Honey, you are beautiful. I know you would never do anything to hurt our baby. I want you both to be healthy."

Grissom held his breath until she smiled.

He said 'our' Sara noted. "That's so sweet."

The other patrons agreed as they nodded in approval.

They were heading back to the car after desert when a thought occurred to Grissom.

"Sara, when I arrived to your apartment, you where leaving. Where were you going?"

"Oh, right." Sara had forgotten herself. "I was going to go to Wal Mart to see if they had some books on pregnancies - uh you know - baby stuff."

"Okay." He thought for a moment. "Mind if I go with you?"

Several hours later, their buggy was filled with all the limited baby related reading materials the store had to offer. But when Sara moved on to the baby clothing section, Grissom started to get uncomfortable. Sara picked up on it right away.

"Uh- you-um, ready to go?" Sara asked.

"Yes." Grissom answered honestly.

"Look, Grissom. I know this is still new for you and that you may not be ready-"

"Sara, you're right, this is new - for both of us. It's just…I thought.."

Sara waited patiently for him to complete his thoughts.

"Isn't it bad luck to buy stuff this early?" He finished lamely.

Sara rolled her eyes and headed towards the front of the store to check out.

"Sara, wait!"

He caught up to her in the produce section of the store, studying an eggplant.

"Sara. Sara, I don't know what's appropriate to say. Given the circumstances of conception."

"You know what Grissom? I think I understand your position-"

"Do you Sara? Because I don't think that you do."

"Then _enlighten me._" She challenged, still not really ready to hear his rejection.

"I'm still trying to sort out my feelings - my feelings about that day, I - uh, you know, with us."

"Well, while you're still trying to figure it out, I have a baby to give birth to and raise." She said tossing the eggplant into the cart, then moved on to the pineapples.

"_We_, Sara. _We_ have a baby to raise."

Sara studied Grissom for several minutes then sighed heavily. "We. So, what are we going to tell them at work?"

"Well, I figure in a few more months, it's going to be quite obvious that you're pregnant."

"Can't get anything past you."

Grissom glanced at Sara disapprovingly. He thought for several more minutes, aware that his next words were crucial to there relationship - one that he very much wanted.

"I think we should tell Brass and the team, but hold off with anyone else to give you and I some more time to figure things out."

"You mean, you don't want to keep it a secret? That's pretty risky."

"I think it would be too stressful for us to hide this from them. Of course, don't go handing out baby shower announcements just yet, but I think we still have a few months before anyone else will suspect. _And_ I need to look some things up."

Sara's smile was his indication that he had made the right decision.

"Thank you." Sara said tearfully.

"Sara, I'm not ashamed of you or the baby. I just think we have some things to work out but we go completely public."

Sara nodded in agreement, then stated "I'm hungry."

**__**

Crime Lab…

Sara knocked on Grissom's door, then entered. "Hey."

"Sara, come in."

"I -uh, do you want to- um."

"You want to tell the gang before assignments?" He smiled knowingly.

"Yeah." Sara admitted excitedly, then plopped down on his couch. "What do you think they'll say?"

"There's only way to find out." Grissom picked up his phone and dialed. "Catherine, will you gather everyone up and come to my office. Yes, Greg too and Brass. No. Everything's fine. Thanks."

Several minutes later, Grissom's door flew open and Greg fell through, followed by Nick, Warrick, Catherine and Brass.

"There you are Sara." Catherine stated suspiciously, eyeing the two. "Gil, what's this all about?"

"Warrick, close the door." Satisfied with the soft snick of the lock, Grissom continued. "First of all, I need your word that what we discuss in here goes no further than this room." He paused for their mutual acceptance.

"Jesus Grissom, would you tell us already? You're scaring us to death!" Catherine complained.

Grissom glanced over to Sara, for permission to continue. Sara nodded nervously. "Sara and I are expecting a baby."

Two full minutes past and still no one had responded.

"Guys, I'm pregnant. As in I'm going to have a baby. Hello? Anyone home?"

"Wow!" Greg gasped. "You mean, you and Grissom? Did…had- "

"Yes, Greg, and we don't need you to re enact it." Grissom interrupted.

"Yo Man Gris! Sara! Congrats! I knew it was only a matter of time." Warrick congratulated, shaking Grissom's hand then leaning over to kiss Sara's cheek.

"You mean, you and Gris?" Greg stammered to Sara.

"Yes, Greg. It still works the way you learned in school."

"Well, I for one and glad as hell you two finally got your act together! About Damn time!" Catherine muttered. "Feel free to use my house again as a rendezvous point. And Sara, I've got tons of baby stuff."

"Gil, Sara - congratulations on the blessed event. How far along?" Brass questioned though he seriously had a pretty good idea based on his conversation with Grissom several weeks ago.

"Eight weeks." Grissom supplied easily.

"Wait, that means - at Warrick's birthday party!" Nick calculated. "Cool!"

"You mean, uh - I was like…_there_ when it happened?" Greg whined.


	4. Chapter Four

****

High Incident

Chapter Four

Besides being sworn to secrecy, everyone was excited about becoming uncles and an aunt. Well, Greg was still having trouble processing the news but seemed to be happy none the less.

****

Sara's Apartment…

Sara groaned out loud at the sound of the telephone. Would she ever be able to sleep? Every time she'd start dozing off, she had to get up about fifty times to use the bathroom.

"Sidle." She mumbled sleepily.

"Sara, it's Grissom." He said cheerfully.

"So? And what are you so happy about?" She shot back grumpily.

He plowed on, undaunted by her mood. "I was wondering if you wanted a ride to work?"

Sara stared at the telephone like it was a foreign object. "Grissom?"

Grissom had barely slept all day. He'd been reading, What To Expect When Your Expecting all morning and according to the author, who seemed pretty knowledgeable on the subject, Sara was emotionally unstable right now. Totally expected for her this stage of the pregnancy.

"I was thinking that maybe I could pick you up before shift and we could get something to eat."

"Wait. Who is this?" Sara couldn't believe this was the same Grissom that had avoided her like the plague every since their "encounter." That's what Sara had been referring to it, since she certainly couldn't use 'affair.' 'One night stand' left a bad taste in her mouth and 'rendezvous' or 'the moment of conception' were out.

Granted, he had been really sweet at the diner the other night and she was secretly pleased that he had purchased just as many baby books as she had but his behavior towards her otherwise had been the same.

"Uh, Sara? You still there?"

"Um, yeah. What were you saying?"

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Do you want to grab something to eat before work?"

__

'Sleepyhead? This is really weird.' Sara thought shaking her head to clear her thoughts.

"Okay Grissom. Just give me a half an hour."

"Good. See you then."

Sara lay on her bed for several minutes replaying their conversation. What had gotten into Grissom? Well, whatever it was, he sure sounded happy.

Suddenly, Sara jumped up from the bed. She was going out with Grissom! She needed to find something to wear!

****

In the car they decided on Italian. Since they both needed to be dressed for work, the Olive Garden seemed like a good choice. There, once again, Grissom watched in awe and pleasure as Sara put away a large salad and a heaping plate of pasta. Yes, he was pleased but he'd be damned if he said anything about in public - he learned his lesson before. So, he contently handed her more breadsticks. By the time Sara got to desert, he wondered briefly if he had developed an oral fixation watching Sara eat. **Mental Note to Self: Share more meals with Sara.**

****

__

Crime Lab…

Later that evening while Grissom went over and handed out assignments, Sara could barely keep her eyes open.

"Uh Sara, you want to hang around here and catch up on some paperwork?" Grissom asked concerned. He wasn't really sure if she should be working right now anyway- he hadn't gotten that far in the book yet.

"No, I'm okay." Sara replied, immediately defensive. The last thing she needed was Grissom thinking she couldn't do her job because she was pregnant and she certainly didn't want any special treatment.

There was a tense moment in the room before Warrick spoke up.

"Sara, why don't you come with me on the B&E? It won't take long." He suggested.

Sara met Warrick's genuinely concerned eyes and felt tears welling up. Was this how it was always going to be? What if no one wanted her to go out with them because they where afraid she wouldn't be able to do her job? To back them up? She nodded her acceptance and left the room unable to stop the flow of her tears.

Grissom stood to go after her, but Warrick raised his hand to stop him.

"She'll be fine Grissom." He continued on when Grissom raised a questioning eyebrow. "At nine to thirteen weeks, Sara's 'instability is comparable to premenstrual syndrome, but probably more pronounced, which may include irritability, mood swings, irrationality and weepiness. Also, she may experience misgivings and fear."

"And you know all of this because?" Catherine questioned in wonder.

"Page one fifty six-" Warrick started but Grissom interrupted.

"What to Expect When You Are Expecting."

Once the two CSIs got situated in the truck, Warrick turned to Sara and smiled.

"You know what always makes me feel better?"

"What?" Curiosity getting the better of her.

Warrick leaned over to the glove compartment and pulled out a bag of black jelly beans.

Sara accepted several then popped them into her mouth and smiled.

"See, told ja'"

They processed the B&E without incident, though before Sara started dusting for prints, Warrick handed her a mask.

"Those chemicals could be harmful for you and the baby." He shrugged shyly.

Warrick expected Sara to be pissed with him, but she simply smiled and put the mask on.

****

Crime Lab…

"Hey Warrick!" Nick called from the locker room after he returned from his B&E with Sara.

"What's up man?" He greeted, then nodded to Greg.

"We've been reading too." Nick gestured to several books scattered across the bench. "Have you noticed any changes in Sara yet?"

"Changes like what?" Warrick frowned.

"Like, when are we going to be able to see the baby? Are her boobs going to get bigger? What's taking so long?" Greg threw in, clearly irritated.

"You guys are reading the wrong book." Warrick whipped his copy of WTEWYAE out of his locker. "This one explains it so that even we men can understand. And by the way Greg, if you value your life - don't ever let Sara hear you referring to certain parts of her anatomy."

****

Grissom's Office…

When Grissom returned from his crime scene, he found Sara asleep on his couch. He watched her for several minutes. She looked so beautiful and peaceful. God, if she only knew that he would do anything to be with her. Anything for them to be together without the worry of ruining his and her career.

He had communicated with his mother several nights ago to give her the news. Naturally, she was excited about becoming a grandmother. She also wanted to know if this meant that he and Sara were finally together as a couple. Grissom had confessed to his mother many years ago, his feelings for Sara. In a fit of frustration, she pointed out to him that he and Sara were already in a defacto relationship and wasn't ten years of foreplay enough? She told him to stop wasting time and using their employment as a reason to not be happy.

His mother was right, Grissom decided. Maybe it was time to think about a career change. If anyone should leave it would be him. He could get a job anywhere. Sara's career was still new and she would advance quickly with him out of the way.

Grissom sighed heavily. First things first. He needed to check out the department's Code of Ethics. He sighed again before tackling the paperwork piled high on his desk.

Sara woke alone in Grissom's office. She'd been asleep for a hour but with the way her back felt, it seemed more like six hours. She entered the break room under the observant eyes of her coworkers.

"Stop staring at me like I'm one of Grissom's experiments!" She spat out testily.

Everyone just shrugged and continued on with whatever had them occupied. She left back out to find Grissom, she was ready to go home to bed. Irritated when she couldn't find him, she asked Warrick to take her home.

Sara felt like she had just fallen asleep when her telephone rang.

"Sidle."

"Hey girl, it's Warrick. Sorry to wake you but we got a hit on those prints you collected yesterday."

"Wow, that was fast. Brass getting a warrant?"

"Yeah, said he'd meet us there. Turns out, those prints belong to some big shot's son. You want me to pick you up?"

"You know, I _am_ capable of driving." She snapped.

"_I know_. Just enjoying the ladies' company." Warrick supplied smoothly.

Sara instantly regretted her tone. Warrick had been nothing but supportive of her and very sweet. He didn't act like her being pregnant was a handicap. Maybe it was time to get to know him better. "Warrick, I would love a ride."

"No problem, see you in thirty."


	5. Chapter Five

****

High Incident

Chapter Five

Crime Lab...

"Warrick, you have a DB behind the Tangiers. Catherine and Nick, suspicious circumstances for a jumper. Sara, you need to brush up for court tomorrow and I-"

"I'm already prepared for court." Sara interrupted him. She and Warrick ad wrapped up their case quickly. Drawing straws, Sara got to follow up the case in court.

"Sara, this is a high profile case. I just want you to make sure that the I's are dotted and the T's have been crossed." Grissom countered, never looking up.

Of course, he couldn't just tell her that he wanted her to be near him. They hadn't spent more than five minutes together since she fell asleep in his office. When he returned from the Human Resource office, she was gone. Besides, they _really_ needed to talk.

When Sara didn't respond, Grissom looked up from his papers. Sara was staring at him like he had grown three heads.

"What?"

"The case is solid. I want to go with Warrick."

There it was again. What was with those two? "Prep for the hearing, then maybe later you -"

He never finished his statement because Sara started to cry. Not a boo-hoo of the sort, but tears began to well in her eyes as she continued to stare at him. They finally spilled over her cheeks when she blinked.

"Sara?" He asked stunned.

"Excuse me." She choked then fled from the room.

Nick, Warrick and Catherine were equally stunned and were now staring daggers at him.

"What? I didn't do anything." Defending himself against their cold eyes.

"You made Sara cry." Nick accused. "_Again_."

Warrick wasn't sure what was going on between Grissom and Sara but something was majorly wrong. This was not like Sara. He sighed heavily. Would they ever get it together?

"Man, Gris. I think you should just let Sara come with me. I could use the help."

Safe in the bathroom stall, Sara did not try to stop her tears. What was wrong with her? She never cried - especially in public. Now she was nothing more than a blubbering mess. Had to be hormones but it was his fault too. Grissom was ashamed of her and didn't want anyone to know that she was pregnant. Could you already see? She had performed her morning ritual of checking in the mirror, but she hadn't seen anything. She wasn't even showing and he was already trying to hide her.

When she returned from the bathroom, Catherine was waiting for her.

"You alright?" She asked concerned.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Hang in there, kiddo. Warrick's waiting for you in the truck. I'll kick Grissom's ass for you later."

Sara grinned.

So, Warrick and Sara working together became the norm. If anyone had a problem with it, they didn't say anything. Of course, Sara knew that Grissom did, but she also knew that he wouldn't say anything because he didn't want to upset her - which was actually kind of cute if it didn't piss her off so much. She didn't want special treatment. Anyway, it felt right. In her opinion Warrick was the only one who didn't treat her like she was fragile. It also didn't hurt that he kept a constant supply of jelly beans.

Two weeks later, Grissom was ready to blow a gasket. Just when he decided that he knew what do about '_this_,' Sara started avoiding him like diseased ground beef. Physically anyway, because whenever they were within eye shot of each other, she was sending him looks that left him in need of a cold shower. Talk about mixed signals!

To top it off, she had the nerve to change her shampoo and body wash. No, he hadn't broken into her bathroom. In all the years he'd known Sara, she had always wore a soft floral scent. It was alluring. Kind of snuck up and tapped you on the shoulder. Now, she wore some vanilla and almond concoction that drove him completely, absolutely crazy. How in the hell was he supposed to work with an enticing, captivating, beguiling, and mesmerizing scent like that wafting through the air?

All _he _wanted to do was run his tongue over her lips, sink his teeth into the soft flesh of her neck and a few other places that shall remain unnamed and all _she_ wanted to do was be with Warrick. Well, all that was ending tonight. Sara was working with him from now on and he'd deal with Warrick later. It was time to move on with his plan. He had a family to think about.

**__**

Later that night…

"Not a lot going on tonight. Nick and Catherine, DB on the Strip. Warrick and Sara, you're with me. DB in Henderson." Okay_, maybe he didn't completely trust himself to be alone with her yet._

"Let me guess, suspicious circs?" Warrick deadpanned.

"Looks like a dumpsite - lots of bugs."

An hour into processing the scene, Warrick stepped back feeling like a third wheel. Grissom was totally into the bugs and Sara was too. The two bug freaks collected, photographed and examined each specimen in some sort of super-sex-charged, well choreographed dance. He wasn't even sure if they knew that their glances held too long or that their hands lingered too long. Also, neither seemed to realize that they unnecessarily invaded each other's personal space.

"How did it go?" Catherine questioned Warrick when the three returned from Henderson.

"Man, I don't know what's going on in Sara and Grissom's relationship but there was enough electricity flowing through that bug infested warehouse to power the lights of Vegas." He recounted.

"Really?"

"I swear, they didn't say more than five words - other than Grissom quizzing Sara on the creepy crawlers and trust me, she was all over it!"

"It's called Geek Foreplay, War."

**__**

Later that shift…

Sara woke and stretched, knocking a blanket to the floor. Spotting Grissom at his desk, she sat up quickly remembering where she was.

Her motion caught Grissom's attention. "Feeling better?" He asked smiling.

God, he was gorgeous when he smiled. Well, Grissom was gorgeous even when he wasn't smiling, especially when he had what she referred to as the 'The Thinker' expression on his face. She also loved -wait, she was digressing.

"Yes, thank you. How long have I been out?"

"Two hours."

"Whoa. Didn't mean to pass out on you. Just meaning to rest my eyes."

Seems she couldn't get through an entire shift without taking a nap, no matter how much she slept at home. The couch wasn't the most comfortable, but it smelled like Grissom. Another thing she couldn't get enough of. Whenever they came into contact with one another, she wanted nothing more than to jump his bones.

What? She was only human. She couldn't help if he had a memory lapse. Sometimes she just wanted to scream in the middle of the halls "**JESUS Grissom! There wasn't another immaculate conception - WE HAD SEX!"**

Grissom wore a pair of jeans the other day and she thought she would have to go to the bathroom to take care of herself. Sara figured she'd better keep a little distance before she lost control and got them both fired. _And_ her plan was working fine until he assigned himself with her and Warrick tonight.

Grissom watched as Sara stood and stretched. Did she have any idea how sexy she was? Her shirt rode up, exposing her slightly swollen belly. It was still hard to believe sometimes that they were going to have a baby, but he was looking forward to it. "Sara? When do you see the doctor again?"

"As a matter of fact, I have an appointment this afternoon."

"Oh."

"You uh - wanna come?" Grissom's looked surprised at her offer. "I mean, you don't have to. I- um. I was just wondering." She stammered.

"I'd love to."

Towards the end of shift, everyone migrated to the break room as they wrapped their cases. Even Grissom was sitting at the table working a crossword puzzle.

"So, Sara. When do you get to see the baby?" Nick asked, and everyone gave her their undivided attention to hear the answer.

"Uh, I have an appointment this afternoon. They'll do a sonogram then." Sara replied unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

"Cool!" Warrick said smiling and rubbed Sara's arm gently, unaware of Grissom's furrowed brows.

"Bring the picture in tonight so we can see. You know, I still have all of Lindsey's sonograms."

"Shift's over." Everyone turned to Grissom at his abrupt interruption. "Anyone up for breakfast?" He added, trying to smooth over his outburst. Seeing Warrick touching Sara annoyed the hell out him.

"Yes - food!" Sara chanted happily.

** __**

The Diner…

The group sat discussing cases and watched approvingly while Sara grazed from their plates. She was planted next to Warrick as usual.

Grissom couldn't help but smile. (Not that once again she preferred to invade Warrick's personal space - which by the way, Warrick didn't seem to mind in the least. **Mental Note to Self: Find out why Warrick has suddenly become Sara's human security blanket.**) Well, at least he wasn't the only one irritated with this. He caught Catherine's scowl a few times since they arrived. Anyway. Sara could stand to gain more weight. Just an observation, nothing he was prepared to or willing to say out loud - _ever again_. Sara was just plopping a grape from his plate into her mouth when he caught her eye.

Another **Mental Note to Self: Sara eating from his plate was a turn-on! **As if reading his mind, Sara arched an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side with a grin. As a scientist, he relied on proof. Now he had all the proof he needed - He definitely had an oral fixation! He wanted to do things with his mouth right now that was still considered illegal in some states! Grissom eyed her back before lowering his gaze to her graceful neck. Though he had seen the shirt she currently wore a time or two before today, it seemed to dip down further than he remembered, emphasizing her gently swollen breast.

His mind traveled back to the bathroom of Catherine's house. He remembered her taste and her smell. He remembered the feel of her then smaller breast in his mouth, teasing her rosy nipples until they hardened under his tongue. Grissom almost groaned out loud as he remembered again the feel of himself inside her. Buried deep inside.

A soft, barely audible gasp snapped his attention back to her eyes. Yes. She remembered too.

"Grissom, take me home." Sara sputtered.

At the sense of urgency to her voice, everyone from stopped speaking.

"Sara? You are okay?" Warrick asked leaning towards her.

"Yes." She whispered. Embarrassed now by her outburst. "Umm. Just tired."

"Sara?" Grissom asked, immediately concerned until their eyes met again.

There, in her eyes, he saw a hunger that would have frightened him if he didn't share it.

"Let's get you home." It was an understatement of the situation, but who cared?

Warrick stood to allow Sara to scoot out of the booth while Grissom threw too much money down on the table for their meals. Once standing, Grissom firmly grasped her elbow and headed to the door. They tossed a "see you later" over their shoulders then disappeared from the diner.

"You think Sara's alright?" Greg asked frowning.

"Oh, she'll _be_ alright." Warrick answered smugly.

"Did you see that? Sara was eyeing Grissom like vegetarian lasagna!" Catherine laughed.

"You mean…?" Greg looked sufficiently embarrassed.

"Dude, page 233." Nick explained.

"And page 163." Warrick added.

"Which is…?" Catherine asked, wanting to confirm her suspicion.

"Sexual Desire!" Nick and Warrick said in unison and gave each other a high-five.

**__**

Grissom's House…

They had barely made it through the door before Grissom sank his teeth into the delicate flesh of her neck. He was rewarded with a throaty moan in response. "God Sara, I can't keep my hands off of you."

"Then don't. Touch me, Grissom." She encouraged.

It was all the encouragement that he needed. In a burst of passion, their mouths and hands were all over each other. Somewhere along the way clothing had been discarded, leaving them free to explore each other more intimately. When Grissom could stand the separation no more, and Sara thought she would die from need, he parted her legs slightly more than sank into her warmth. He was home.

Sara cried out in relief. She would never tire of feeling him inside her.

"God, I love you Grissom!"

**__**

Later that night…

Warrick and Nick were watching television and Catherine was reading a magazine when Greg rushed in breathless. "Hey guys!"

"What's up Greg?" Warrick questioned.

"Rob from the dayshift asked me point blank if Sara was pregnant."

"What? How did he find out? But most importantly, what did you say?" Catherine whispered as she moved closer to the men.

"I told him that I didn't know anything about that."

"Did he buy it? You know, Sara _is_ starting to show." Nick added.

"Yeah, but just barely. But her um-she's…uh, growing. Well, you know her…"

"Spit it out, Greg!" Catherine barked impatiently.

"Her breasts are bigger! I mean, she's like cleavage city now!"

"Yeah man, I noticed that too." Warrick agreed.

Catherine turned to Warrick with a frown. He's been checking out Sara?

"Anyway," Greg continued. "He said that he heard that Grissom and Sara where an item and that naturally the baby's probably is Grissom's."

"You know, once it's out that Grissom's the father, he's as good as fired. There isn't anything about co-workers fraternizing, but it's the supervisor thing that will get him." Frustration evident in Catherine's voice. "Damn. Ecklie's gonna have a field day with this."

"I don't even think they've thought that far. Their relationship is tenuous at best." Warrick tossed in and tried not to think about how Catherine knew what the fraternization rules where. "This is going to ruin everything."

"We've got to do something. Obviously, Sara and Grissom belong together and they deserve to be happy. We've got to find a way to do some major damage control." Nick suggested.

"Damn." Warrick muttered, leaning back in his chair. "This is not good."

"No, no. I took care of everything." Greg boasted. He had their complete attention.

"I told him that even if Sara was pregnant, that it was none of his business and that the baby _definitely_ wouldn't be Grissom's because Sara's been dating Warrick for months."

"Come again?" Warrick stammered.

"Shit!" Catherine exclaimed.

"Man, Grissom and Sara are going to be pissed!" Nick warned.

"Hey, I had to think fast." Greg said in his defense.

"Next time Greg, don't. Don't think, just walk away." Catherine suggested.


	6. Chapter Six

****

A/N: For those who did not realize it, obviously, this story has been Alternate Universe from the beginning. And in this world, that I'm creating, the night shift was never separated. And, in that _same_ world, I own CSI and am married to WP.

High Incident

Chapter Six

Grissom glanced once more to the sleeping figure before closing his bedroom door.

He was in unfamiliar territory; Grissom realized and began pacing the length of his living room floor. This was the part where Grissom usually quietly collected his belongings and disappeared into the night. He never had to worry about awkward after sex talk. The few women Grissom actually got far enough to sleep with knew exactly what the circumstances were: Release of sexual tension.

Difference this time around, was for one thing, the woman was in _his_ bed. There would be no creeping out of his own home. Most importantly, that woman in his bed was Sara. _His Sara_. The woman of his dreams and mother of his child was sleeping in his bed after a wild morning of passion. This time, without the aid, shield or excuse of any mind altering drugs.

And let's not forget that during the previously mentioned event, Sara claimed that she loved him. Did she mean that she was _in _loved with him? What if it had slipped out and now she regretted the moment? But what if she meant it? Would she now expect him to return the sentiment?

Of course, Grissom loved Sara. He'd figured that out while he was teaching her Forensics 101 a decade ago. He had just never admitted to her. What to do? Sara wasn't the type to throw words of affection around. Then again, Grissom had heard that she called that paramedic 'Baby' at a crime scene.

Should he pretend that he hadn't heard Sara and then wait to see if she says it again? That way he could be sure about the context in which the phrase was used. Maybe he should say the words first, that way Sara wouldn't think that he felt pressured to respond and she'd know for certain that he meant it?

Why was everything always so complicated when it came to Sara? People professed their feelings to one another all the time. Why couldn't he just say, 'I love you,' and see what happened? He smiled at the familiar phrasing. Because saying the words out loud would change everything. _What was thinking? _Everything had _already _changed and he still hadn't factored in the baby.

Their first time together had been an accident…_sort of_. This morning, however, had been motivated by pure lust, want and need. Grissom had wanted her badly. And as far as he could tell, the feeling was mutual for Sara. There was no going back now.

There was no way in hell that he would ever be able to look at her and not want to touch her, hold her and well, there just was no way.

Working together was going to be a challenge. Grissom wasn't worried about Sara being unprofessional; _he_ was worried about loosing control. His already excessive territorial tendencies towards Sara had kicked up a notch when he found out she was pregnant and had been progressively getting out of hand. If he caught Greg hitting on Sara now, Grissom wasn't sure how he would respond. And that thing between Warrick and Sara had to end.

Grissom groaned out loud, he was getting nowhere. "What am I doing?"

"That's a good question."

Sara's voice startled Grissom and interrupted his pacing. He turned to find her leaning lazily against the archway, clad only in his work shirt. **Mental Note to Self: Take a snapshot of Sara wearing nothing but his shirt and a sexy smile**. He wanted a tangible reminder. She was sexy as hell!

"So," Sara continued from her perch, "What _are _you doing, Grissom?"

"Thinking."

"Obviously, not pleasant thoughts." Sara mused. "Grissom, the world wasn't built in one day. Let's just enjoy one another today. We'll talk later. Figure things out then. Okay?"

Grissom smiled, when had pupil become teacher? Sara was right, of course. He needed to relax, enjoy their time together and stop over thinking the situation.

"We have a several hours before shift, let's get some rest." Grissom suggested as he grasp Sara by the arm, steering her out of the living room.

"Who said anything about resting?" Sara quipped with a smirk and slipped into the bedroom.

**__**

Director's Office…

Sophia knocked on door then entered slowly. "Ecklie?" Surprised to find her dayshift CSI Supervisor sitting in the Director's chair.

"Come in Sophia and close the door."

"Okay. Did you get a promotion?"

"In due time, but let me get to the point." He continued on when Sophia nodded in agreement. "Director Carvello has been asked to consult and possibly supervise on the opening of a new CSI Lab in Salt Lake City."

"Permanently?"

"No, a few weeks. In his absence, I have been chosen step in as Director."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. Of course, you will be temporarily promoted to Acting Dayshift Supervisor."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Your record is exemplary."

Sophia nodded again but could not shake her uneasiness. "Is there anything else?"

"Actually, yes there is. As Acting Director, I'll be jumping right in and working on some personnel issues that Carvello hasn't had time to handle."

"Personnel issues?" Sophia questioned, wondering what that had to do with her.

"Sophia, I feel as if we have developed a certain level of trust." Sophia nodded in assent. "I need you to investigate the inappropriate behavior of Dr. Gil Grissom."

"What inappropriate behavior? What exactly am I looking for?"

"That's what you are going to find out." Ecklie's replied with irritation.

"Conrad, I don't think-"

"Don't think, Sophia. Just get me the information I need, starting with his CSIs. It's gone on long enough. Grissom's despicable behavior is a violation of our Code of Ethics and an embarrassment to the Department." He ranted angrily, his distaste the graveyard shift supervisor obvious.

"What going on? I don't understand how-."

"Grissom's been sleeping with CSI Sidle for years! It's no secret, Sophia. If you don't feel that you are up for the task…" Ecklie let the innuendo hang.

"I'll look into it." Sophia rose to leave.

"You do that." Ecklie spat, and then suddenly smiled sweetly, sending a chill racing down Sophia's back. "Sophia, I know I can count on your discretion."

"Of course."

Ecklie leaned back in the executive leather chair with a satisfied smile.


	7. Chapter Seven

****

A/N: I'm taking some of the events of Mea Culpa and twisting them for my own purposes. Matter of fact, anything up until this point is fair game. So warned. Thanks for the reviews from the faithful. Maybe two or three more chapters for this story. Still don't own CSI.

High Incident

Chapter Seven

__

Sara's Apartment…

Sara performed her daily ritual, checking to see how much her stomach protruded. She wrapped her hand around her swollen belly and smiled. "See, Mommy promised things would get better."

**__**

Grissom's Office…

Grissom stared unseeingly at the assignment slips occupying his hands. Since he dropped Sara off at her apartment, per her request, it had been impossible to focus on anything other than the time they spent together earlier. Grissom found himself replaying the morning like an old home movie.

He still could not wrap his brain around the concept that this was really happening. That he and Sara were officially a couple and he couldn't be happier. Glancing at the clock, Grissom noted that there was still plenty of time before assignments. Reclining slightly in his comfortable chair, Grissom closed his eyes and gave into a rare indulgence; daydreaming.

A smile developed on his face as Grissom fantasized about his future with Sara. He imagined his wife's belly, heavy with their child as they put the finishing touches to the nursery. Experiencing the joys and frustrations of early child rearing. Sleeping together, wrapped tightly in each other's arms. He wanted it all.

"Either you are really glad to see me or that's some hell of a dream you're having there."

Grissom groaned in mock irritation at the intrusion.

"Something I can help you with, Catherine?"

Catherine studied her supervisor intently. Something was different. He was more relaxed, almost…vibrant? "Well, well, well. What have we here?" This new development had 'Sara' written all over it.

Grissom rolled his eyes and tried to suppress a smile, but what was the point? For the first time in his adult life, he was truly happy and he didn't care who knew.

The grin that spread across Grissom's face startled Catherine. Never in their countless years of friendship, had she seen Grissom this way. He looked…_in love_…and happy about it. Catherine had always worried that her best friend would never open himself up enough to allow someone into his heart. Particularly, a someone named Sara Sidle. They were perfect for on another. He was honest and truly a good man. She hadn't wanted Grissom to spend the second half of his life alone. Naturally, she was more than a little thrilled now that things had worked out. Finally.

Catherine was overcome with emotion and could not stop the tears from filling her eyes.

"Grissom. I-I…I'm so happy for you. I just..." She shrugged helplessly, suddenly at a loss for words.

"Will wonders ever cease? Catherine Willows has been rendered speechless."

"Shut up!" Catherine smiled as she snatched a tissue from the box on the corner of Grissom's desk and dabbed at her eyes.

"It feels good, Cath." Grissom admitted with sparkling eyes.

"You deserve it, Gil. I'm so proud of you." She leaned close and placed a hand on top of Grissom's. "You'll marry her?"

"If she'll have me, that's the plan."

"Very good." She was pleased that he took her advice and lifted his head up from the microscope to see what was right in front of him. Now, she planned on following her own counsel. "We should get started on wedding arrangements soon." Catherine advised, checking her appearance in the reflection in one of many terrariums. "Should there be this many crickets in one container?"

"Doesn't matter, really. I use them to feed the-"

"Okay. I lost interest at the word _feed_. By the way," Catherine paused at the door "Shift started twenty minutes ago."

**__**

The next morning…

"Where's Grissom?" Sara wondered out loud as she flopped onto the break room couch. They had not had much chance to talk, their cases kept them busy throughout the night. Their time together that morning had ended on a good note and with promises to meet after shift. Sara was anxious to spend more time with Grissom.

"He got pulled into a case from days? Bugs. Took Warrick with him." Greg informed her, then joined her on the couch. "I can't see anything when you sit down."

Sara glanced to the empty doorway, then grabbed Greg's hand and placed it gently on her stomach.

"I can't feel anything moving either." He complained after several minutes.

"It's early, Greg. The baby doesn't move much right now. It sort of flutters about."

"Why is it taking so long? I'm ready to be an uncle."

"In due time, dear." Sara smirked and pet Greg's spiky hair. "You'll have plenty of time to teach your niece or nephew the joys of DNA evidence."

"And techno!"

Sara stood with a frown. "We'll see." Waving goodbye, she pulled out her cell phone to send a text message.

**__**

Crime Scene…Somewhere in Las Vegas...

Grissom was dropping a small piece of beef jerky into a specimen jar containing several maggots when Sophia Curtis joined him. "That can't be healthy for them."

"It's more feasible than human remains. I have the feeling that my shaving off bits of flesh from corpses would bother a few people and the scenario would probably end with me taking a psychological evaluation." Grissom chuckled heartily at his own joke.

Sophia laughed with him. Who knew Grissom had a sense of humor?

"How many samples do you need to start your regression table?" She questioned as she moved down next to Entomologist.

Sophia watched Grissom carefully as he launched into a full scale explanation of Linear Regression. Hmmm…Grissom smiling, joking and being personable. This was different. And…_attractive. Very attractive._

Warrick moved to slide his metal case into the back of the Tahoe but froze halfway. Either his hearing was failing him or the CSI heard Grissom laughing. From the truck, he could see Grissom speaking amicably with the temporary Daylight Supervisor.

Granted, Grissom had been acting out of character lately, but they all knew it was because of Sara. Things seemed to be working out between the two and the graveyard shift couldn't be more pleased. But this conversation with Sophia seemed to be almost flirty. At least on Sophia's part. Curious now, Warrick moved in for a better view.

She was standing too close for Warrick's taste and hanging on Grissom's every word. Nothing about bugs was that exciting.

Warrick frowned as he caught the tail end of their conversation.

"Fascinating. I never thought of it that way. I'm intrigued." Sophia damn near purred.

__

Oh please! Warrick grumbled to himself. He hadn't even realized she had a personality until just then. Now she's going for teacher's pet.

"You're a quick study." Grissom complimented, delighted to have an interested ear. "If you really are interested, I could recommend a few books."

"Sounds good. You're a great teacher." Sophia touched Grissom's arm to reinforce her words.

Oh, _this_ was a nightmare waiting to happen. Warrick pulled out his cellular phone and headed back to the truck.


	8. Chapter Eight

A/N: I think I can finish this in three more chapters.

High Incident

Chapter Eight

_Damn!_ Warrick swore as he approached Grissom and his sudden pupil, Sophia. He had been unable to reach Catherine to ask her opinion on the situation. Seems the Daylight Shift Supervisor was trying to get a handle on more than just bugs."Excuse me," Warrick interrupted "Griss? We about done here?"

"Not quite." Sophia answered for Grissom.

Warrick pursed his lips. _What now?_

Grissom glanced between the two, picking up on Warrick's tension. "_I'm_ finished."

In the truck, Grissom studied the younger man while he drove. "Is everything okay, Warrick?"

"Um, yeah." Warrick knew Grissom was referring to his hastiness to leave the scene, but he really wasn't trying to get into it without consulting Catherine first.

All due respect, but Grissom wasn't always the brightest bulb in the pack when it came to male/female relationships, so Warrick had a pretty good inkling that his friend had no idea what Sophia was up to. Things could get tricky and downright dangerous if interference wasn't run immediately. Grissom and Sara's relationship was still too new and Sara didn't need this type of stress in her delicate state. Which was why he needed so desperately to speak with Catherine. This was right up her alley and he couldn't even pretend like he knew what to do right now. "We've got a lot to process and I wanted to get home at some point before next shift."

"Big plans?"

"Maybe."

Satisfied with the answer, Grissom shifted in his seat and lapsed into a comfortable silence for the remainder of the trip.

****

Next shift…

Treading lightly across the current crime scene, Greg located Sara quickly in the warehouse and squatted next to her. "So, I hear Sophia was hanging all over Grissom at a crime scene this morning like a cheap gold chain."

"Greg, I think you're the last person that should be spreading rumors." She was still pissed that the lab tech told people that she and Warrick had been dating for months.

Not that there was anything wrong with Warrick. He was one fine brother. He had also become her rock the last several weeks, getting her through some emotionally tough times. Sara enjoyed and had come to rely on his easy going and laid back nature. The best friend you could ask for really. Warrick never pushed her to talk about the things bothering her. He just let her cry, complain, sulk, stuff her face with jellybeans or do whatever her hormones called for. And she loved him dearly for it. In another world, he would be the perfect mate for her, _but_…he wasn't Grissom.

"Not rumors, Sara." Greg had overheard Warrick telling Nick about the incident. "I'm just looking out for you. Giving you the heads up so you can watch your back."

"Thanks, Greg. But I'm not worried about Sophia."

"Then my job is done."

Sara frowned as she watched Greg stand and then move to the other end of the warehouse. _What was Sophia up to now?_

There was no love lost between the two CSIs. Sara didn't care for women who flaunted their sexuality and used it as a tool to get what they wanted. She had learned over time to look past Catherine's inclinations. At least she had brains and guts to back up her strawberry blond hair. However, officers were talking about Sophia's stunt, changing out of her evening gown in front of Grissom - for months. The woman's obvious flirting with Grissom was really starting to tick her off. Not that Grissom was responding, but he wasn't discouraging the behavior either.

Sara wasn't concerned about Grissom's interest in Sophia, but she would be damned if Sophia would continue to 'drape' herself over her man!_Her man?_ God. She was pathetic. Reduced to adolescent tendencies because she finally got some from the only man she's ever loved and was carrying his child.

Damn it, that _definitely_ qualified him as her man.

Sara groaned out loud, she needed to talk to Catherine.

****

Several days later…

Rounding the corner, Sara froze as she spotted Sophia leaning in Grissom's office doorway.

"Just great." She muttered, rolling her eyes. She was going to have to kick this bitch's ass yet. She could always blame it on her hormones.

Should she be concerned? It's not like she had a ring on her finger. Hell, when she told Grissom that she loved him, he didn't even respond. Which was fine at the time, she didn't want him to feel obligated to return the sentiment. But still…

Sara cleared her throat as she approached the door. "Excuse me. I have a question for Grissom." She announced, hedging her way past the door.

"Come in, Sara."

"We'll speak again later, Gil. You've been _very_ helpful." Sophia ended with a toss of her long hair.

However, Grissom hadn't heard a word as his attention was already focused Sara.

"Grissom, we need to talk."

"Yes, we do." Grissom returned. Truthfully, he had wanted to do a lot more than talk. They had not been intimate since the day she claimed she loved him. Work always seemed to interrupt any plans they made to see one another. Damn Las Vegas criminals…

Fortunately, this did not stop him from moving on with his plans. Just the day before he had purchased a ring he was sure Sara would love. He was ready to make a commitment.

"Sara, would you like to come over for breakfast?"

"Absolutely."

****

Director's Office…the same morning…

"How's the investigation going?" Ecklie wanted to know.

"Honestly?"

"If the spirit moves you."

"The investigation is not going anywhere, Conrad. Grissom's clean."

"Wrong answer."

"Unless everyone in the lab and PD is covering for him, there's nothing to find." Sophia reiterated. Grissom and the entire night crew turned out to be sickeningly clean. The minor blemishes that did appear, had already been made public record. There wasn't anything to find. Besides, she was sick of Ecklie using her to bring down Grissom.

_Hmmm…Grissom._ She got a delicious tingle thinking about that man. He was definitely worth pursuing.

"Sophia? What about Sidle?"

"I did confirm that she's pregnant."

Ecklie leaned forward at this bit of news.

"But no definitive word on the father. I hear that-." The chirping of Sophia's pager interrupted the conversation. She snatched the pager from her waistband and stood. "Warrants ready. I have to go."

"Sophia?" Ecklie stopped her at the door. "Find something _definitive_ by the end of this week or find another job."

_Asshole._ She muttered under her breath as she cleared the door.

_Trace Lab…later that day_

"Warrick?" Sophia called from the doorway. He glanced up from the lit table to acknowledge her. "Have you seen Grissom?"

Warrick frowned. "No." _Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you. _He added silently before returning to his task at hand.

Sophia observed him for several minutes, then spoke. "I hear congratulations are in order." She moved to the opposite end of the table.

"Excuse me?" It was always a toss up as to what she or Ecklie were dishing out or plain fabricating. He learned not to get involved in their games, unless it was directly targeted towards his team. "Are you here in search of gossip, Sophia. Cause, I've got none for you."

"You know, I've been watching you." Warrick looked up, interest peaked. He lifted an eyebrow, giving her permission to continue. "I hear you had a tough childhood and later ended up with a major gambling problem."

"None of _your_ business but it's common knowledge. Is there a point?"

"Of course. You turned out to be such a good guy. Real stand up. With Grissom as a mentor, all the better for you, right?"

"And the point _is_? Or leave me to my work."

"Always on top of your game with work. We both know you've got what it takes to be the next Ecklie down the road." Warrick inwardly flinched but said nothing. "You seem like the type of guy that is completely dedicated to all of your endeavors. Like a relationship, for example. With looks like yours, you probably had to beat girls off with a stick. I don't take you for a player, though. You're a one woman man. Once committed, you're in it for the long haul. Not one that would duck responsibility. No woman you love would ever accuse you of bailing."

Sorting through Sophia's words for hidden meanings, it several minutes for Warrick to figure out that she was probably referring to Sara. It was obvious now that his friend was with child. And, if this was going where he thought it was going, there was no way he could defend himself and not reveal Sara and Grissom's secret. If he out right denied a relationship with Sara, it would bring suspicion back on Grissom or possibly implicate another member of the team. Whatever the case, Sara would come out looking like a loose woman and that he couldn't have. She, and Catherine, worked too hard to establish themselves in a male dominated field. It was a crying shame that another woman was trying to bring her down.

Warrick sighed heavily as the burden of this knowledge bore down on his shoulders like a modern day Atlas. Thanks Greg.

"I have never and would never run from my responsibilities." Warrick responded with ambiguity.

"Then I say again, congratulations. Sara's a lucky woman. Send me an invitation." She disappeared from through the door before he could respond.

_Oh Lord._ Warrick shook his head. This was getting out of hand.


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: This story would still be on hiatus with the rest of my stories if it weren't for Monika from Berlin, asking me to finish. It's very difficult to know how the stories are received if readers don't review them. Reviews always helps me with the direction of the story. So, please be kind and review. **

**High Incident**

**Chapter Nine**

_**CSI Lab…**_

"Man, where've you been?" Frustration weighed heavy in Warrick's voice as he joined Catherine in route to the break room.

"I had a meeting with one of Lindsey's teachers. It's something new everyday with her." She returned with a shrug. "What's up?"

"Nothing, other than the fact that Sophia's going after Griss."

"Whoa! Back up." Stopping their forward progress. "What in the hell did I miss? What do you mean, going after Griss?"

"_Meaning_, suddenly Sophia's all into bugs, wanting Grissom to teach her a thing or two - if you know what I mean."

"_Really_? What does Grissom say?"

"_Pleeeease_! Griss is all like - _I've got a couple of books you may want to leaf through_." Warrick mimicked.

"In other words - he's clueless." She surmised.

"Completely."

"Does Sara know?"

"Probably not and she doesn't need to. Sara doesn't need this type of stress right now."

Catherine blinked at Warrick's fierce protectiveness for his coworker. "Right. Well then, let's nip this in the bud."

"Good. What are you going to do?"

"Start by finding Grissom."

However, she only got a few yards to her destination before she was intercepted.

"Catherine, I've been looking for you." Sara caught Catherine in the hallway, pulled her into the Trace Lab and closed the door behind her. "Where'd you go?"

"Parent/teacher conference."

"Ouch." The younger woman winced. "That can't be good."

"I just don't know what Lindsey's thinking about. It's like I don't even know her anymore. But enough about me. How are you and the little one holding up?"

"We're good. But I swear I'm going to kick Sophia's ass if she doesn't keep her paws off of Grissom."

"You go girlfriend, sticking up for your man!" Catherine patted Sara on the back proudly.

"I'm serious Catherine!"

"I am too!"

"Greg told me that Sophia's been flirting with Grissom."

"Sophia flirts with everybody."

"More than the usual. Should I be worried?"

Catherine shook her head 'no' in response. "Look, Warrick told me the same thing a minute ago, but-"

"Really? Warrick didn't say anything to me." Sara could not hide the hurt in her voice.

"He didn't want to upset you." The lie came quickly as Catherine tried to gloss over the moment.

"What did he say?"

"That out of the blue, Sophia's suddenly interested in learning about bugs."

"Okay, again, should I be worried?"

"No, Gil isn't interested in Sophia or any other woman for that matter."

"You know that Grissom and I don't have any sort of…understanding."

"That must be Geek for commitment."

"I'm serious, Catherine. I'm not wearing a ring. There's nothing stopping Grissom from taking up with someone else. Children are raised by separated parents all the time."

"Preaching to the choir, Sara. But, I think you are worrying for nothing. Grissom has had years to 'take up' with someone and he hasn't. Because of you, Sara, it's always been about you."

Sara pondered Catherine's words, and then shrugged. "I've always…" She paused to collect her thoughts. "I don't want Grissom to think that I trapped him, you know? I don't want him to feel obligated - to me or the baby."

"He doesn't feel trapped Sara. And he's going to feel an obligation to you and the baby anyway. It's how he was raised."

"I don't know what he feels - he hasn't said. What if he thinks that I got pregnant on purpose?"

"Did you come to my house, on Warrick's birthday, planning to seduce Grissom?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Neither did Grissom. It just happened. Maybe it was fate." Catherine suggested.

"Maybe it was hemp." Sara countered.

"Hemp may have been the instigator, but the idea was already there."

"There's no winning with you, is there?"

"No. So, let me go and find the man in question. Want to grab something to eat after shift?"

"Thanks, but I'm having breakfast with Grissom."

"Good girl."

_**Further down the hall…**_

"Greg! Greg!"

After advancing several more feet, Greg finally stopped. He wasn't going to be able to avoid his co-worker forever - especially when he was processing key evidence in Nick's case.

"Greg? Didn't you hear me calling you? I've been looking for you for over fifteen minutes. Why didn't you answer your page?"

"Oh, battery must be dead." He didn't bother to sound convincing.

Nick frowned. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing."

"Anyway, you know that new lab tech, Michelle?"

Greg stared in disbelief. Of course he knew Michelle. Every geek in the county knew Michelle. She was one of them and she was beautiful. She was like a Sara that was not in love with Grissom.

Greg had been working up to asking her out when Nick slipped in and beat him to the punch. Greg and all the other guys where pissed. He was stealing from their limited pool of opportunities. It was like Nick was determined to have every woman in Las Vegas.

"I know her. I was the one that introduced you to her the other day." Greg snapped.

"Yeah, thanks for the hook up."

"It was not a hookup!"

"Right. Anyway, Michelle told me that she overheard Ecklie trying to convince the Sheriff to move Sara onto the swing shift."

"What?" His anger temporarily forgotten. "He can't do that! You've got to tell Grissom."

"I'm on my way to him now."

"Good."

They stood in silence for several minutes. Nick could tell that something was on Greg's mind.

"So, how did your date go last night?" Greg could barely contain the anger that quickly resurfaced.

"Oh yeah! With Michelle? You heard about that? Man, let me tell you! She was…" Nick continued on, oblivious to Greg's increasing hostility until he was halfway through his reproduction of the evening. "What's got you all worked up?"

"Nothing other than the fact that you asked Michelle out when you knew that I liked her."

"What? You were serious?"

Greg glared at him in response.

"Hey!" Nick threw his hands up defensively. "I would never have asked her out if I knew you were seriously interested."

"Yes, you would have." The younger man spat back.

"Now hold on there. I wouldn't have stepped on your toes if I had known you had feelings for her. I wouldn't do that to you, buddy. I swear I had no idea."

"She's not even your type." Greg complained, though he was starting to believe that his friend was sincere. "She's my type."

"You have a type?"

Greg blinked hard at the insult. Thankfully, his pager beeped before he could respond.

"Gotta go!"

"Hey, I thought your battery was dead!" Nick called out to Greg's retreating back.

_**Grissom's Office…**_

"Hey Gil! You busy?"

"If I say yes, will you leave me be?"

Catherine paused. "Was that a joke?"

"Maybe. What's going on?"

"I think we have a problem." She began after closing the door and plopping down in the chair of Grissom.

"What kind of problem?"

"Judie, the receptionist, told me that she overheard the new Tech telling Nick that-"

"There's the problem right there, Catherine. Too much gossip."

"Focus Gil! I'm serious."

"I was too." He mumbled. "Go on."

"She heard that Ecklie's been sucking up to the Sheriff and sending his lapdog around asking questions. And there have been rumors."

"You should ignore rumors."

"Even when they concern Sara?"

Grissom slowly placed the paper from his hand onto the desk. "What about Sara?"

"Still want me to ignore them?"

"Catherine!"

_**Later that shift…Grissom's Office…**_

"Gil, I've been thinking about our earlier conversation."

"Good. And?"

"I'm ready?"

"Are you sure?" Grissom asked surprised. "This isn't to be taken lightly. I don't do this sort of thing often."

"Neither do I. I want to do this."

"Okay. I'm not always easy to get along with." He warned.

"And I don't run away from a challenge. What about Sara?"

"This has nothing to do with Sara." Grissom shot back, though he was not certain of what Sophia was insinuating. He had already been warned about her and Ecklie's agenda and wanted no part of it. He would call in every favor owed to him before he'd let Ecklie interfere with his and Sara's happiness. However, if Sophia was serious about studying Entomology, he would be happy to help her strictly on a professional level.

Nick backed away from the office before he heard anymore than he already had. The thought of Grissom and Sophia together sickened him and made him mad as hell.

_**At the end of shift…**_

"Sara!"

Sara stopped while Catherine jogged up to her. "What's up, Catherine."

"I just wanted you to know that I spoke with Grissom."

"You did?" Sara eyes bulged incredulously. She couldn't believe that Catherine would divulge the contents of their very private conversation.

"Yes. And he understands what he needs to do." Catherine waited for a response from Sara but did not get one. "Sara? Everything's going to be okay now."

"I can't believe you spoke with him already."

"Of course. The matter needed to be settled immediately. There's no reason for you to be under any additional stress."

Catherine still did not get the reaction she anticipated. She thought that Sara would be relieved to know that Ecklie and Sophia's plot to have her moved to the swing shift was squashed. However, she chalked it up to hormones and moved on. "Go have your breakfast with Grissom. Talk to him, Sara. He's got everything worked out."

Sara raised an eyebrow in question as Catherine urged her in the direction of their supervisor's office.

"Go on."

_**Grissom's Townhouse…**_

Sara had been perched nervously on a kitchen stool, for several minutes, watching Grissom meticulously preparing omelets. Clearly he had something on his mind.

And naturally, Sara's mind immediately went to the dark side. Maybe it was bad news and he didn't know how to break it to her. Maybe he was going to tell her that he wanted to be with Sophia. After all, he made no emotional commitment to her, he'd only promised to be there for the baby. The maybes continued on in her head until he finally spoke.

"I've been thinking."

"Your specialty of late." He raised an eyebrow at her quip. "Sorry, just nervous, I guess."

"Why are you nervous?"

"I don't know." Grissom sat the knife in his hand down and waited for her to continue. "I guess…Why am I here, Grissom?"

"For breakfast, of course." He frowned. "Are you feeling well? Do you need to take a nap?"

"What am I, five?" Sara snapped.

"Okay. Sara, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I wish you would say what you need to say."

She wasn't sure why she was so irritated, maybe hormones, but right now a sense of doom was weighing heavy in her heart. She wasn't sure where it came from, so unexpectedly, but her insecurities about Grissom working with Sophia started to eat away at her. And she had no idea how much Catherine revealed to Grissom following their earlier conversation. She felt weak, exposed and very vulnerable.

"I'll admit that I asked you here with ulterior motives."

"Is this about Sophia?"

"Sophia?"

"Yeah, Sophia. The one that you've agreed to mentor or whatever it is you plan to do."

"That's exactly what I planned on doing with Sophia, nothing more." Grissom scratched his head in bewilderment. Where had that come from? Was this one of the mood swings that he'd read about? "Would you like a glass of milk? The foods almost done-"

Grissom knew immediately he had made a mistake when Sara jumped off of the stool.

"I'm not a baby! Stop treating me like one! Just, tell me why you brought me here. Tell me what you want." Her eyes welled with tears and her voice raised several notches.

"Calm down. There's no reason to be worried, you're going through a lot right now. Let's have some breakfast and then we'll discuss this."

"Don't you dare patronize me! You think I don't know what's going on here? I know all too well how you love to mentor younger women. After all, I was you're best students!" A small part of her knew that she was being irrational, but she didn't care.

"Sara," Grissom started. She was borderline hysterical and he needed to calm her down quickly. Choosing his words carefully, he started again. "Sara, I'm not interested in Sophia other than to introduce her to the field of Entomology. End of story. If I've made you feel otherwise, than I'm sorry. Come on," Guiding her to the table. "Foods almost done."

"What did Catherine tell you?" Sara demanded as she shrugged off his hands as they sat.

"I don't want to discuss Catherine or Sophia. Let's just-"

"Damn it, Grissom! Why won't you talk to me?"

Grissom grunted, stood and began pacing. He hadn't wanted to propose to Sara this way. He wanted them to have dinner, with candles and music - not with Sara in the throes of some type of hormonal fit. But at this rate, if he didn't come clean, she was going to have a meltdown and put her and the baby in jeopardy. "Look Sara," He stopped pacing and came to stand in front of her. "I've been thinking about our situation. About the baby, about us…and I think we should get married."

Sara stared in disbelief for several seconds with a startled frown. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

Grissom frowned in return. He knew he could have done a better job with the presentation but feelings behind the gesture were pure. He loved Sara and their baby. He wanted them to be a family. "I said, I think we should get married." His look turned expectant when she still did not respond. "Well? Will you marry me or not?"

Sara couldn't believe it. Had Catherine told him was she wanted a commitment? Did Catherine make him feel guilty or worse make him feel obligated to her and their child? Obviously, this was a last minute thought; he didn't even have a ring. He was just fulfilling his moral obligation. There was no way in hell she was going to bring up a baby in a relationship like that. He never even said that he loved her! "Oh, hell no!"

"Excuse me?"

"I said no! There's no way in hell I'm marrying you!"


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: Don't own CSI and all that. Thanks for reading. Almost done with this one, currently working the next chapter for Stay, also.**

**High Incident**

**Chapter Ten**

_**Grissom's Office…**_

As luck would have it, there weren't any major crimes to solve that night. Somehow, Grissom did not think that Nick, the only one with an open case, would appreciate the entire nightshift joining him on his missing person investigation.

Basically, this meant that the remainder of the team would be confined to the lab to catch up on paperwork or pick up a cold case from the cork board. Staying in the office also meant that there was a greater possibility of running into Sara, who he'd been successfully been avoiding since assignments.

_Sara_. Just thinking about the woman kicked the pain from his migraine up several notches.

Talk about good intentions gone bad. Breakfast ended rather abruptly as his proposal ended in disaster. Not only did she turn him down flat, but left little doubt that she would be interested in the concept anytime in the near future _or _quite possibly ever.

He had been so stunned by her angry response that it took several minutes for him to realize that she had left his home. By the time that he reached the front door, Sara's car was speeding around the corner. He tried to contact her on her cellular phone but she would not answer. It was just as well, since he had no clue what to say.

What _do_ you say, when you are dumped by the woman you have loved for more than a decade and that also happened to be pregnant with your child? It wasn't so much that she refused his offer of marriage - _okay_, that stung a bit, but it was the look of anger and disgust in her eyes that devastated him.

Grissom understood her initial confusion. It's not like they had ever defined their relationship, the focus had always been on the baby. In hindsight, he realized that the proposal sounded way too casual. He imagined she felt as if he had given the idea little thought. Hell, he'd even forgotten to present the engagement ring he'd purchased, that at the time was lying in a box only several yards down the hall. **Mental note to self:** No more spur of the moment proposals due to complete inability to think fast on your feet.

The delivery sucked, _he got that_. But that did not take away from the sincerity of question. Was the thought be being in a committed relationship with him so appalling, when she not long ago claimed that she loved him? Was this payback for all of the years he'd been distant and unkind? Surely, the scene couldn't have come as that big of a shock - they were going to have a baby for Pete's sake. It was a natural progression.

So, what now? Did they go on as if nothing happened? And what about the baby?

Grissom reached into his drawer for an over the counter pain pill. It was going to be a long night.

Several hours later, Grissom made a quick round through out the Lab, making his presence known. Or he thought he should a least pretend to be in control.

He spotted Sara in the Trace Lab. Although he could tell that she was tired, she wore that look of determination on her face that he loved. She was beautiful. Motherhood definitely agreed with Sara. He wondered briefly where she went when she left his house earlier and if she had gotten any rest at all when she returned to her home. Had she remembered to eat? He certainly hadn't. He'd spent the remainder of his time replaying one of the worst moments of his life. Grissom had thought that things would work out between them, now he had no clue what to do.

As if on cue, Sara glanced up from the table and met his eyes. They stared unblinking, trying to gauge the other's reaction.

Grissom was the first to look away as his name was called by a Lab Tech from an open office door across the hall. When he turned back, Sara's head was once again bowed as she resumed her work. Sighing heavily, he returned to his sanctuary.

"Damn!" Sara swore as two dozen crime scene photos scattered to the floor. She glanced up quickly and was relieved to find that Grissom had gone.

She was completely distracted and ineffective on the job tonight and it was Grissom's fault. Sara had finally managed to not think about the man for more than two seconds, when he suddenly appears out of thin air staring at her like she was naked.

Or was that a look of longing and appreciation in his eyes? _Maybe_. She missed that look. It had only been hours since she left his home and she missed him terribly. What was it about him that kept her in a constant state of confusion? Should she even care after that earlier debacle? But he looked so…lost…and handsome…and…God he was infuriating!

He was ruining everything. Why couldn't he have left things be until he was truly ready to be with her? It's not like he wasn't going to be a major part of her and the baby's life. Sara had been careful, until this point, to give him the time and space he needed to make his own decision. She tried to keep the pressure off and he ruined everything by rushing. Sara wanted a lifetime commitment from Grissom not a relationship filled with regret later down the road.

"Damn." She swore again. Quickly, she packed the photos into the evidence box and returned them to the vault. There was no sense in continuing with the charade. She wasn't going to be able to crack the cold case when she couldn't even figure out her present predicament.

Heading into the locker room, she joined Warrick who was already in route.

"I just ran into Greg in the hall and he said that a certain _somebody_ _in charge_ wanted him to make sure that you ate." He smiled, flashing a crisp twenty dollar bill as proof. "But I gladly intercepted the task."

"Well, that certain _somebody in charge_ should mind his own damned business. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Sara replied angrily. It bothered her that Grissom hadn't checked on her himself. He was withdrawing from her already.

"_Okay_. Did I miss something?"

Sara eyed Warrick, debating on whether or not to share the disaster from the morning. _Mind as well_, she did decided. She needed to get it off of her chest and she knew that Warrick could keep a secret.

"Grissom asked me to marry him." She blurted.

"And…this is a _bad_ thing?" He asked confused because Sara didn't look like a woman that had been proposed to by the man that she loved. And her finger was missing an engagement ring. He didn't make CSI Level III on his looks.

Sara took a deep breath and started from the beginning.

_**Grissom's Office…**_

"Hey Boss!" Sophia greeted as she plopped several files onto Grissom's desk.

"Technically, I'm not your boss. As Acting Supervisor, you and I are equals."

"For the moment." She agreed as she eased into the visitor's chair.

"Anything I can help you with, Sophia?" As he scrawled his signature on the files.

"Actually, I just wanted to thank you for the books and let you know how much I enjoyed working the case with you."

"Thank you." Grissom accepted uneasily. "Team work prevails."

"I agree. Your leadership style certainly promotes a certain level of _togetherness_."

Grissom removed his glasses and leaned back into his chair. "Okay."

"Meaning, I understand now, how the nightshift has grown so close to one another."

She pushed on when Grissom remained quiet. "With the way that everyone has 'clicked,' it would be only natural for the lines to blur between personal and professional."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Don't worry Grissom; the Department's rules on co-worker relationships are very vague."

Again, Grissom said nothing.

"Well, thanks for helping us out with the case. And I look forward to studying the textbooks you left in my office." Sophia retrieved the files, stood and moved to the door. Before exiting she turned for a moment. "By the way, I just saw Warrick and Sara together; they really do make a handsome couple."

Nick approached Grissom's office and once again found Sophia firmly embedded there- _again. _

While he debated on whether or not to interrupt, the decision was made for him as Sophia opened the door.

"Nick." She greeted with a fake smile.

"Sophia." He returned with one of his own as she passed by.

Nick entered the office and closed the door behind him. "_Grissom_."

Grissom's head snapped up as Nick's voice was uncharacteristically abrasive. "Yes?"

"I've been looking for you, but I see that you've been busy lately." Nick threw a glance over his shoulder in the direction that Sophia had gone. His tone was curt and accusatory.

"We wrapped up our case." Grissom offered; though felt he had no reason to explain his actions to his subordinate. "Is there something on your mind, Nick?"

"Plenty. But my Mama taught me not to be disrespectful to my elders."

Grissom's eyes narrowed as he felt his pulse rise. "State your business, otherwise - I'm busy."

"Doc Robbins is looking for you. I told him I'd pass that on."

"Thank you." Grissom slipped his glasses on to his nose and resumed his work, effectively dismissing the younger CSI.

"_And,_ in case you're interested, Sara, you remember her? The mother of your child is in the locker room bawling her eyes out."

_**CSI Locker room…**_

Warrick whistled when she finished speaking. "Sara, I think that this was just a misunderstanding."

"You do?" She questioned as she wiped at the tears that had begun during the story.

"I do. When has Grissom ever done anything he hasn't wanted to do?" He continued on when Sara simply shrugged her shoulder. "Maybe you need to look at this from another angle."

"I'm listening."

"Grissom asked you to marry him. So what, if it wasn't in the perfect romantic setting and he didn't have a ring. Look at the evidence and find the truth."

"I don't know what the truth is."

"Yes, you do. Do you love Grissom?"

Sara hesitantly nodded yes, feeling uncomfortable voicing her feelings out loud.

"Does Grissom love you?"

"I don't know."

"Sara, think. This is Grissom we're talking about. Look how much he's changed since the two of you got together -"

"Technically, we are _not_ together-"

"In what world? The two of you _are_ together and have been since the day you stepped foot in Vegas. It's only been official since you consummated the relationship at my party."

Sara groaned in embarrassment. Would they ever live that down?

"No one knows Grissom like you, Sara. Looking past his emotional awkwardness, what did you see? What did you really hear? What does your heart tell you?"

Sara stood quietly for several seconds as she evaluated his friend's words. Had she let her own fear and paranoia ruin the moment?

Gilbert Grissom was not a spur of the moment type of guy. Everything he said or did had always been a deliberate and calculated move. So, why would his proposal be any different?

And while it would have been wonderful to have things play out as they had in her fantasies, this was real. This was Grissom. Without the cover of a dead poet's words, Grissom was awkward and uncomfortable expressing himself. It was one of his most endearing qualities. But he _had_ tried. He tried to reach out to her. To open his heart to her and she slammed the proverbial door in his face.

_Now_, images from the morning flashed in her mind and she remembered the look of love and hope in his eyes as he waited for her answer. _Now_, she remembered the look of utter devastation on his face when she turned him down so rudely. It had been the truth. It had been there all along and she refused to believe it.

"Oh God." Sara sat down hard on the nearest bench. "Oh God, Warrick. What have I done?"

"It'll be okay." He tried to sooth her and the tears began, again. "Don't worry. We'll figure out how to fix this."

Grissom entered the locker room several minutes later to find Sara buried in Warrick's embrace. And he flipped. "Didn't take long."

Slowly, Sara extracted herself from Warrick's arms and turned. "What didn't take long?" She demanded, put off by his attitude.

Grissom flicked an irritated hand towards Warrick.

"Hold on Griss." Warrick started, catching on quickly. "Sara was upset-."

"Uh -uh. You don't have to explain anything to him, Warrick."

"Of course not. You're free to sleep with whomever you please." The rational part of Grissom's brain knew that his ugly words only reflected the hurt and anger from Sara's recent rejection.

"That was uncalled for." Warrick stood loosing his patience. "I understand you're angry-"

"But that doesn't give you an excuse to be an asshole!" Sara was nearly shouting.

Catherine, Greg and Nick walked into the middle of the tense moment.

"What's going on? We could hear you from the hall." Catherine asked concerned, but quickly noted Warrick's arm held protectively around Sara's shoulder.

"Nothing, other than the fact that I forgot to mention to you all that I'm sleeping with Warrick." Sara answered flippantly.

Catherine gasped in shocked.

"Since when?" Greg questioned in confusion.

"Not now, Greg!" Nick warned.

"This is all a misunderstanding. There's nothing going on between Sara and me. _You know that_." Warrick tried to make clear.

"That would be easier to believe if Sara wasn't stuck underneath you twenty four hours a day!" Catherine's jealousy was finally getting the best of her. She didn't believe that there was anything more than friendship between the two - at this point, but whatever it was, was definitely halting any progress in her own, hopefully, soon to be budding relationship with Warrick.

"Let's go, Sara." Grissom ordered. He didn't want the situation to get any more out of control.

"Last time I checked, I wasn't your Golden Retriever. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"_Sara_." Grissom warned.

"Shifts almost over, I'll take Sara home." Warrick decided.

"Don't you think you've done enough?" Catherine snapped.

"What in the hell does that mean? I never wanted to be in the middle this crap. I'm just being the friend that Sara needs right now."

"We can see." Catherine angrily retorted. "Are you sure there isn't anything you want to share with the rest of us?" Directing her accusation to Sara.

This was going someplace hysterical.

"Catherine, stop. Sara doesn't need-" Grissom bit out, but was cut off.

"Well Grissom, maybe Catherine's speculating about the wrong person's fidelity, since _you're_ the one that been spending so much time with a certain _female_ from the daylight shift." Nick threw his hat into the mess.

"What the hell?" Grissom's head whipped around to face his accuser.

Sara's head snapped up in attention also. So, there was something more to the Sophia thing? Grissom lied to her, after all. She did attempt to stop the tears as she eased back onto the bench, in despair.

"Nick, you're not helping." Greg added dryly.

"Maybe not, but at least I wasn't the one spinning tall tells about Sara and Warrick to begin with. You started all this." Nick countered in defense. "The last thing a woman needs is that kind of reputation."

"But it's _okay_ if it's a man? What about _your_ reputation, Nicky? You've probably been screwing around since you were twelve and you wear each notch on your belt like a badge of honor. The women have made you out to be some sort of God when you should be labeled as a jerk for the way you've used and discarded them." Greg shot back.

Only Catherine and Warrick knew the meaning of the pained expression that flashed across Nick's face.

"Enough." Grissom spoke quietly. "I think we've done enough damage here. Let's go home, get some rest and regroup."

Sophia didn't stay long at the locker room door. Only long enough to prove that the night shift was no more perfect than the rest of the CSIs.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: I know it's been awhile. Real life and Smallville (What a wonderful series!) had a way of getting in my way of writing. You'll be happy to know that this story is finished. One down and two more to go! I was inspired by last week's episode of CSI. Even my non-CSI watching sister (Imagine that there are still people out there who does not watch CSI?) had to ask me 'what's up with those two staring at each other?' This is a bit wordy, so bare with me. I've read this a few times and it seems almost OOC to me, but hey, it's my story and I took some creative liberties here. Also, not a medical doctor and have never been pregnant or had a baby - I've only read about it.**

**High Incident **

**Chapter Eleven**

_**Local Diner…**_

"So, how are you holding up?" Brass wanted to know as he eyed Sara wearily.

"Fine, I guess."

In his opinion, however, she looked anything but fine. She was still the classic beauty that could distract any man, but knowing her like he did, he could see the darkened circles under her eyes barely concealed by makeup and slight pinch to her usually upturned mouth. Fact was, she looked completely stressed out and that couldn't be good for her or the baby. This was why he decided to snatch her out of the lab for a bite to eat. Although her shift was nearly over, he knew that she could use the break and fresh air.

"Don't take this the wrong way Doll, but you look tired. Are you getting enough rest?"

Sara's first instinct was to deny the obvious. Usually, admitting that she was tired was a sign of weakness, but she was just too damned exhausted to care anymore. She hadn't had a decent sleep since she could remember. A handful of hours of sleep a day suited her fine pre pregnancy, but now, it was wrecking havoc on her body. She also had no appetite, which left her feeling weak and to her doctor's concern, loosing weight. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one miserable.

Since the team's big blow up, several weeks ago, things had been very…tense. One hardly spoke to the other, still licking their wounds from the sharp words passed during the heat of the moment. There were no more gatherings after work to hang out or for breakfast, just straight case work then home. Everyone was miserable.

Distributing assignments had become a game of chess. Sara had to hand it to Grissom, with an overload of simmering emotions to deal with - including his own, it took strategy and skill for him to couple the team _and _keep the crime scenes of Las Vegas processed. Thank God, they were all professional enough to not let their personal issues affect their work - _at least not too much._

Still smarting from his turned down proposal, she assumed, Grissom had no conversation for Sara outside of work other than anything directly involving the baby. He was on top of things that she hadn't even considered because she was too distracted by the changes going on with her both emotionally and physically. The man made each scheduled appointment with bells on. Asking the doctor questions from a prepared list and showing plenty of concern about her health. He was alert and attentive in the office or during any occasion they had baby issues to discuss. Hell, Grissom had been sending her e-mails for the past week, recommending baby equipment and products based on safety standards. However, after that moment was over, Grissom quickly withdrew all affection and retreated behind his carefully constructed emotional wall.

Sara knew that she was a great deal to blame for his retraction, but she honestly did not have the strength or the 'know how' to make it right. Her rejection had been cold and unforgivable. Each attempt on her part to explain, or right the situation was met with strong resistance. He would quickly redirect the conversation to safer grounds. Eventually, Sara knew she would have to accept the fact that she had missed her chance. Grissom made the ultimate grand gesture and she had thrown it back in his face with disgust. For now, however, she could not afford to dwell on things too much; the strain was draining her already fragile state of being.

Of course, she knew he was still watching out for her at work. Well into her second trimester now, Grissom made sure that she didn't work any scenes that required too much physical activity- not that any of the others would permit it anyway. He also made sure that she did not work a minute into overtime. But that was all generic and impersonal- nothing any good supervisor wouldn't do.

She understood, in a way, that Grissom's distance was supposed to make things easier - but it wasn't. It never worked any other time either…

"I _am_ tired, Jim. Seems like I can't get enough sleep anymore."

Brass raised a bushy eyebrow at the rare admission while taking in her defeated posture. Maybe things were worst than he thought. "Feel free to tell me to take a hike anytime, _but_ I - uh heard uh, what in the hell is going on with you guys? My men from the squad said that it's pretty uncomfortable working the night crew these days. Anything you want to tell me? Maybe I can help before things get out of control. You know that Ecklie's looking for any reason to bust Grissom's chops."

"I know." Sara mumbled while the waitress placed there orders in front of them. She picked over her French toast, and then pushed it away.

"Sara?"

She took a deep breath. "Greg's mad at Nick because Nick stole some new Lab Tech from under his nose.

Nick's pissed with Greg for calling him a male whore and he's also pissed off with Grissom because he thinks that Grissom is cheating on me with Sophia-."

"Is he?" Brass had heard rumors but he hadn't given them a second thought.

"Sophia has a newly discovered a love for Entomology and Grissom has agreed to mentor her."

"Is that Geek for having an affair?" Sara shot him a death glare. "_Okay_, I'm listening."

"Anyway, Warrick's not speaking to Greg because he thinks that Greg started all of this to begin with and now, everyone thinks that I'm having Warrick's baby. He's also mad at Catherine for accusing him of sleeping with me."

"_He is_? Never mind. You were saying?"

"Warrick's also pissed with Grissom for accusing him of the same thing. You know, Grissom and Warrick used to be really close. I think that I'm coming between them which would only give Grissom another reason to resent me down the line. So," She plowed on before he could respond "Catherine's not speaking with me or Warrick for the previously stated reasons.

And _finally_, Grissom's not speaking to Catherine, Warrick, Greg, Nick or me. He only speaks during assignments and personally, he and I only communicate on issues directly related to the baby."

"Whew!"

"Very eloquently put. You have such a way with words, Jim."

"You guys sure know how to go all out." Sara shrugged. "I knew there was trouble in paradise but I didn't realize it was a modern day fall of the Roman Empire."

"Yeah, it's pretty bad. To make matters worst-"

"Things could be worst?"

"I heard that Sophia's running some type of investigation into Grissom."

"I thought she had the hots for him?"

Sara rolled her eyes. "I think she's just using him."

_**CSI…that same shift…**_

Sara was feeling better than she had in days after her refreshing "talk" with Brass. He had a way of lightening her mood whether she liked it or not. He also, had the inside track to Grissom's true state of mind - Lord knows she had not clue as to what was going on in there.

By the end of their meal, Brass had given her insight on Grissom's thoughts on their 'misunderstanding' which left her feeling hopeful. Apparently, during a drunken stupor, Grissom swore Brass to secrecy and revealed he had been planning to ask Sara to marry him for quite a while. That he even had a ring but was waiting for the right moment. Brass also relayed that Grissom still very much wanted a relationship with her. Naturally, when Grissom was finished purging, Brass immediately sold out his best friend and revealed the conversation with little guilt.

Maybe, there was a light at the end of the never ending dark tunnel called her life as of late. And, for the first time in weeks, she felt as if things may actually work themselves out. Unfortunately, it all ended upon her arrival to work as she was immediately handed a note by the secretary from Sophia, requesting an interview. She was completely not in the mood for this bullshit.

_**Ecklie's Office…**_

"Thanks for coming in. I know you're probably anxious to get home." Sophia started out smug and business like, raising Sara's irritation level.

"Yeah, so if you could get to the point." Sara was tired, hungry and irritable. Not to mention completely stressed out. Being summoned to Ecklie's office by Grissom's wanna be groupie was not helping.

"Of course. I've been appointed by Acting Director Ecklie, to look into inappropriate behavior on the nightshift."

"You mean Grissom."

"Do you have something to report?" Sophia asked with a tilt of her head.

"No, and you're wasting your time. There isn't any _inappropriate_ behavior by Grissom or any other person on the nightshift."

"We both know that's not true."

"Why are you doing Ecklie's dirty work?" Sara challenged.

"Excuse me?"

"It's no secret that Ecklie hates Grissom. He's trying to use his temporary position to make trouble for Grissom."

"You seem very protective of your supervisor. Should I be concerned?"

"No more concerned than why you're conducting unfounded investigations or should we say witch hunts?"

"You don't think your sleeping with half of your team isn't reason for concern?"

"_Wow_. He's got you, doesn't he?" Sara fought to bit back her anger. Their job, in a male dominated field, was difficult enough. It was a shame that Sophia reduced herself to this level. "Ecklie must have something major on you to put yourself out there like this."

"So, you're not denying that you are or have slept with one or more of your co-workers and are in fact pregnant?"

"That's none of your damned business and I'm done with this conversation."

Fuming, Sara stood to leave but was halted midway by a cramp.

"Sara?" Sophia asked concerned as Sara reseated.

"I'm fine." Sara recovered quickly, not wanting to give the other woman the satisfaction of seeing her panic. She rose again and was unable to stop a cry from escaping as another pain ripped across her side and lower abdomen.

"Sara!" This time, Sophia rounded the desk and assisted Sara back into the chair.

"Something's wrong." Sara moaned more than a little terrified.

"With the baby?"

Sara nodded, closing her eyes. Catherine said that contractions where like menstrual cramps, but like fifty times worse. What she was feeling wasn't fifty times worse but definitely qualified as a cramp.

"I'll call Warrick." Sophia offered, reaching or the telephone.

"No…I'm okay." But her words lost weight as she doubled over from another spasm.

This is it, Sara thought as she listened to Sophia page Warrick. Cramps at this stage - at any point before nine months was bad news. She wasn't far enough along for the baby to be born. This was not good. She was going to loose the baby.

As the reality of her thoughts settled over her, Sara groaned in agony from the potential loss more than pain.

She remembered hearing Warrick's voice but it was impossible to process.

"I want Grissom." She managed as warm tears flooded her face.

Grissom made it to Ecklie's office within two minutes of the phone call. He only remembered Warrick's panicked words that something was wrong with Sara and the baby. He had dropped everything and barreled to the opposite end of the building.

Entering the office, he was unprepared. Grissom's heart plummeted as he found Sara curled in a semi fetal position in the chair, tears streaming.

"Sara?" He was on his knees by her side instantly as Warrick quickly cleared the way.

Sara met his fearful gaze. "I don't know what happened. What did I do?" She questioned forlornly.

"You didn't do anything wrong, Honey. Let's…get you to the hospital."

She nodded, burying herself into Grissom's embrace. "I'm so sorry. I don't want our baby to die." She choked out while Grissom gently lifted her into his arms.

"Ssshh. Everything's going to be fine." He promised leaving the office with Warrick close behind.

Sophia had enough information from the scene she had just witnessed to possibly end both Grissom and Sara's careers. However, it was difficult to feel any satisfaction, while watching the other woman's obvious distress. She only wondered when she had become a monster.


	12. Chapter Twelve

**High Incident**

**Chapter Twelve**

**A/N: This one is short. Didn't want to leave you hanging. I apologize if the ending seemed rushed, but honestly I think I've been writing this one long enough. And I refuse to start anything new until I finish Stay and My Best Enemy. Epilogue is next.**

_**Desert Palms Hospital…**_

"Are you sure they're fine?" Grissom pressed Sara's OB/GYN again.

"Yes. Both mother and child are doing just fine, Dr. Grissom. The cramping was not directly related to the baby. However, Sara does need to increase her potassium. Her blood pressure was elevated, so I want her to relax and rest in bed stress free for a least a week or two."

"When can I take her home?"

"In about an hour. We want to make sure there's no more cramping. Why don't you go sit with her for a while. Don't forget-"

"I got it, increase potassium, decrease stress and bed rest. Thank you, Doctor."

Before entering Sara's observation room, Grissom headed to the waiting room to relay the news.

"Well, thank God! It took long enough!" Catherine complained. "How are Sara and the baby?" She added in a softer tone.

"Both are fine."

A collective sigh, erupted from the group.

"What happened?" Warrick asked.

Grissom looked around. The group had not been together since the locker room fiasco. Being an only child had its disadvantages. He had heard stories of large families but never appreciated the feeling of one until now. No matter what problems and battles they fought amongst themselves, when there was a crisis, they were all there together as a united front.

He missed them all.

"Sara had some cramping but nothing related to the baby. She needs more potassium and her blood pressure is up from stress." Grissom parroted the doctor's words. His ebbing adrenaline left him feeling drained.

"Are they keeping her?" Catherine wanted to know.

"No, but she's on bed rest for a while."

"Sara won't like that." Nick chuckled.

"That's one battle I'm not looking forward to." Grissom admitted. They all laughed in response, easing the tension. "Uh, thank you all for coming. It means a lot to both of us. I know things have been strained lately…" He petered off, unsure of how to proceed.

"This nonsense has gone on long enough." Catherine started.

"I come from a big family and we had fights all the time." Nick agreed.

"Yeah, let's move on cause I'm getting tired of working with Nick." Warrick said, dodging a swat from Nick.

"Okay." Grissom nodded in agreement, happy to be passed the awkwardness. "I'll go see Sara. Give me a minute then you all can come in."

Grissom knocked softly on the hospital door before easing inside. Sara was asleep, lying on her side. His eyes took in her features. She looked peaceful in sleep. His attention turned to the machinery. He leaned over to inspect the clear bag of fluids that connected to an IV snaking out from beneath a thin institutional white blanket. He smiled at the heart monitors where two distinct heartbeats, one beating twice as fast as the other, filled the otherwise soundless room.

He traced the wires with his hands that led once again under the blanket that covered Sara's body. His fingers continued their path until he came in contact with the fetal monitor strapped to Sara's belly. On its own accord, his hands began massaging the swollen mound he found there.

"Grissom?"

Sara's voice startled him. As Grissom met her eyes, his own filled with emotion.

"Doctor says everything's fine. And if you're a good girl, you can go home in an hour or so."

Sara nodded, then started to cry.

"Hey, the baby's fine - you're fine. What's the matter, Honey?" Stroking her hair.

She sniffled loudly for several minutes before answering. "I was so scared, Grissom. I thought, I thought I was loosing the baby."

"I know, I know, Honey. But everything's going to be okay now. It'll be better now."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I promise. Our family is going to be just fine." Grissom kissed her gently on the lips.

"Okay."

"Uh-hmm!"

Catherine's clearing of her throat interrupted them.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you that there's a bunch a people out there waiting to see you." Grissom helped Sara into a sitting position, then leaned over again to give her another quick peck on the lips.

"Eeewww! Mom and Dad are kissing!" Greg shrieked.

"Shut up, Greg! Get over here so I can comb your hair!"

The rest of the group laughed as they piled into the small room but settled down quickly to listen to the baby's heartbeat.


	13. Epilogue

**High Incident **

**Epilogue**

**A/N: Finally, this story is complete. Now, I'm working on Stay and My Best Enemy. Thanks for your interest in this story that started off as a one shot deal.**

_**Two months later…**_

_**The Lab…**_

"You spoke to Carvello." Sara stated as a matter of factly.

"Walk with me." Grissom suggested in reply.

"So?"

"Yes, I spoke with the Director."

"And?"

"He's very upset, as you could imagine."

"Did he ask for your resignation?"

"No, but I offered it."

Sara sighed heavily as they rounded the corner towards the Break room. "I told you I would leave before you. I know you want to retire here - and you should be able to. Let me go to him - it should be me that leaves."

"He didn't accept it. Don't worry Sara. We'll be fine."

"How can you sound so confident?" Sara worried the engagement ring on her finger that Grissom presented to her two months ago.

"If it comes to it, I still know a person or two in this town. I doubt that it will." He soothed. "Carvello is a good man. Give him time to digest this and then we'll come up with a reasonable solution. We'll be fine, Sara."

"I just want this all to go away - with our jobs in tact. So that we can move on, have our baby and get married."

"It doesn't have to be in that order, Sara."

He had tried repeatedly to convince Sara to marry him before the baby arrived. But Sara did not want a shotgun marriage. She wasn't big on ceremonies but she definitely did not want to be forced into a quickie marriage, belly overflowing, because it was expected.

"Come on, no more shop talk." He sighed heavily when she did not respond. "Let's get this party started before the criminals of Vegas wake."

"I told you I didn't want a party." Sara whined as Grissom nudged her towards the break room entrance.

"It was Catherine, Honey. You know I had no choice in the matter. There was nothing I could do."

_**In the Break Room…**_

"I still can't believe you got all this together with out my knowing." Sara stood in amazement several minutes later as she took in the scene before her. The break room had been transformed into a baby depot, decorated with pale shades of blue and yellow, while the tables and counters where littered with gifts stacked a mile high.

"I am good, aren't I?" Catherine bragged. "It would have been a _complete_ surprise if someone hadn't blabbed this morning."

"I couldn't let Sara walk into this without a heads up." Grissom motioned towards the now crowded room filled with employees from the night shift and a few from swing and days. "I have to live with her - Umph!" His playful banter was cut off by a nicely delivered elbow to the midsection from Sara.

"That's right, Sara. Show him who's really running things!" Catherine instigated. "Now, let's start with the presents." Ushering the couple towards the tables.

"Does Sara look okay to you? She looks tired." Nick observed from across the room.

"Sara looks great considering all the stress I'm sure their under. Not to mention that, at this stage, the baby is probably doing somersaults inside of her." Warrick replied thoughtfully. "They can't help but be a little worried, though, one of them is probably getting a pink slip."

"Not if I can help it." Catherine cut in from behind the guys.

"What does that mean?" Warrick questioned.

"Let's just say that I'm calling in some favors."

"I hope it works." He shrugged in response.

"Well," Nick started conspiratorially, "I put a call in myself. My Momma and Daddy are still feeling mighty grateful their boy's life was saved. I'm thinking they can fill an ear or two with kind and persuasive words."

Warrick nodded hopefully. "_And_, Grissom's been around a while. He knows a few people. I have a feeling everything's going to work out fine."

"Amen to that." Nick agreed. "Now, let's go torture the happy couple."

"I'm game."

"Enjoying yourself?" Grissom asked Sara an hour later as she unwrapped gift after gift.

"Yes, I am. In fact, this is the best party I've ever had."

"Really? Well, the nights still young." Grissom promised as he pulled Sara close to brush his lips against his own.

"Get a room!" Catherine hollered from across the way.

"Bite me!" Sara threw back poking out her tongue.

"I'll leave that to Grissom. _And_, just so you'll know, Grissom made us buy all boy gifts. He thinks it'll increase the odds."

"Snitch." Grissom yelled back.

"Nerd." Catherine returned.

"Children please!" Brass intervened. "Play nice."

"The cake is here!" Greg announced as he bounced into the room ahead of Warrick and Nick.

"Oooh yummy! What kind did you get?" Sara was definitely craving something sweet right then.

Warrick opened the box to reveal a large chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

"Are you kidding me?" Sara asked incredulously. It was identical to the one the team shared on his birthday.

"We thought we'd go back to the beginning." Warrick stated as if it was obvious.

"If you weren't all highed- up on that hemp laced cake, you and Griss wouldn't be together and about to have a baby." Nick rationalized.

"Well, there's no way in hell, Sara's eating any of that!" Grissom swore.

"It's not really laced, is it?" Brass wanted to know. "Cause I've got all kinds of legal concerns if it is."

"Don't worry, we didn't cop on the corner or break into the evidence vault. It's drug free." Warrick assured the Captain.

"Yup, just good ole' fashioned chocolate cake." Nick added.

"Then cut me a piece already!" Sara complained.

"A toast." Catherine raised her glass of milk. "To family!" She stated simply.

"To family." They all replied in unison.

**The End**

**A/N: I do feel like there should be more follow up but it definitely won't be anytime soon. Thanks again for reading and those who took the time to review. **


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